SARAWAK LIVE: banjir

Persiapan awal menghadapi banjir penting, kata Adenan

KUCHING: Ketua Menteri Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem menyifatkan persiapan awal menghadapi banjir penting dalam memastikan setiap langkah yang diambil ketika bencana ini berjalan lancar.

Beliau yang ditemui ketika mengadakan lawatan ke pusat pemindahan mangsa banjir di Dewan Serba Guna Taman Malihah di sini, kelmarin berpuas hati dengan bantuan yang diberikan kepada mangsa banjir.

Menurutnya, setakat ini seramai 617 orang terjejas membabitkan kawasan Kuching dan Bau.

Ia berikutan hujan lebat yang turun sejak dua hari lepas mengakibatkan beberapa kawasan kediaman penduduk terjejas dan dinaiki air.

“Kita harap keadaan akan bertambah baik dan hujan berhenti.

“Bagaimanapun kita tetap sentiasa dalam keadaan berjaga-jaga dengan kemungkinan banjir disebabkan air pasang besar,” katanya.

Adenan yang tiba di pusat penempatan sementara sekitar jam 4 petang turut berpuas hati dengan proses pemindahan mangsa yang dilakukan dengan bantuan beberapa agensi kerajaan termasuk Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia (JBPM) Sarawak, Jabatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia (JPAM), RELA, Polis dan Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM).

“Kesemua mangsa di sini turut menerima bantuan keperluan asas seperti makanan, tempat tidur dan tikar.

“Oleh itu saya mahu memastikan setiap mangsa banjir menerima bantuan yang sepatutnya,” ujar Adenan.-Utusan Borneo

Sarawak’s flood management plan to be adopted nationwide

KUCHING: Putrajaya is set to adopt the state’s flood management plan, known as the Sarawak Template, as part of the national standard operating procedure (SOP) for natural disaster management and relief efforts.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the state boasted one of the most effective disaster management tactics in the country, highlighting its barrage system including community engagement during flood.

He also announced that the state Natural Disaster Committee had been given a Gold Star rating. The award presentation will be carried out soon.

Zahid who is also chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority added that the Sarawak Template had adopted several approaches not used by other states such as the building of dams and barrage. Although building a barrage can be costly, it has proven to be successful in mitigating excessive rain water as well as overflowing of sea water to the river network.

In addition, he said the government was preparing a memorandum to provide monetary assistance – obtained from insurance companies based on premium payments made by the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) – to each household affected by floods. Based on the RM500 flood assistance, some amount would be used for the premium so that victims could receive up to RM1,000.

The federal government had also approved allocations amounting to RM1.1 million to build a retaining wall for Rh Jonathan Philip Bunyih in Bintulu to prevent landslide. Zahid also announced the approval of over RM650,000 for the purchasing of an eight-person capacity, 40hp outboard engine boats.

Nadma, formed under the Prime Minister’s Department on Oct 1 last year, takes over the disaster management from the National Security Council (NSC) in managing natural disasters. - Borneo Post

Diversion canal to be built as part of flood mitigation project

KUCHING: The ongoing flood mitigation project here will see the building of a diversion canal to drain water from Sarawak River to Sungai Salak.

According to Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, the project has now covered about 2km and has 6km more to cover.

“Once completed, the excess water from the city’s catchment area will not flow past the city anymore and will be channelled straight to Salak and the sea,” said Wan Junaidi.

He added that the costs for the canal would be around RM1.6 billion and with such a huge cost, the construction needed to be done in stages.

Wan Junaidi was speaking to reporters after a meeting at the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) office at Wisma Saberkas here yesterday.

He also said the canal would cut across sections of several roads including Jalan Matang and the Santubong coastal road, over which bridges would need to be constructed.

“This process is ongoing as we had many things to take into account such as land acquisition, but the government is positive about this project,” he said.

In addition, he said two tidal gates would also be built to regulate water flow and release excess water when needed.

On the flash floods that hit several parts of the city yesterday, Wan Junaidi said it only affected low-lying areas and was not due to overflowing water from rivers.

Also present at the meeting were DID Malaysia deputy director Datuk Zulkefli Hassan and state DID director Chok Moi Soon. - Borneo Post

‘Flash floods reflect dire need for efficient drainage in Kuching’

KUCHING: The flash floods that hit many areas in this city yesterday could have been avoided, had steps to improve the drainage been implemented and enforced.

Stampin MP Julian Tan noted that that this had been the situation almost every year, with city folk worried about the occurrence of floods come the rainy season.

He said developments around existing residential areas had made the problem worse, in that the drainage slated to accommodate the projects had not been cleared or upgraded by the local council. This, coupled with poor maintenance and dirty drains, aggravated the problem even further, Tan added.

“The maintenance of the drainage is under the purview of the local council and it appears that they have been slacking in maintaining and also upgrading the system. The occurrence of the floods is directly linked to their inability to take the precautionary steps before it (flooding) happens,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Tan said he was saddened by the flash floods that hit the city yesterday, with Taman Desa Wira, Tabuan Dayak, Jalan Dogan and Jalan Pisang Barat the worst affected areas.

“The DAP has been constantly raising this issue in Parliament, stressing on the need to upgrade the old, existing drainage, build new drains and pipes, as well as implement flood mitigation projects.

“Based on the answers given by the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment in my question raised in Parliament on the research carried out in 2010, a total of RM584 million would be needed for Phase 2 of the storm flood mitigation programme, which would only be carried out between 2016-2017, depending on the country’s financial situation,” he said.

Additionally, Tan underlined that global warming had contributed to the 30-per cent increase in rainfall frequency all over Malaysia, with a total of 40 per cent increase in both Kuching and Samarahan divisions.

“So for the government to not prioritise the need of such project (enhancement of drainage), delaying it and also putting a condition for this development based on the country’s financial situation, shows that the people’s interest is not being addressed and taken care of.”

Tan said it was for this very reason that the DAP was strongly pushing for the ‘Local Council Elections’

“This is for the public to decide on the mayor and members of the local authorities, based on who would serve them better.

“The people should have the right to vote for an efficient local council that prioritizes the interest of those under its jurisdiction,” he said. - Borneo Post

Batu Kawa area flooded

KUCHING: Special assistant to DAP state chairman Chong Chieng Jen, Abdul Aziz Isa visited several areas including Jalan Ketitir, Arang Road, Kpg Sinar Budi, and Kung Phin Road this morning (Dec 31).

The rumoured potential candidate for Batu Kitang said he had also contacted the Civil Defence Department (JPAM) at Batu Lintang and Batu Kawah as well as the police to be on standby in case of emergency. - Borneo Post

Hujan lebat di Kuching dan Samarahan menyebabkan banjir

KUCHING: Hujan lebat yang melanda bahagian Kuching dan Samarahan sejak awal pagi tadi menyebabkan beberapa kawasan dinaiki air dan memaksa beberapa keluarga berpindah ke pusat pemindahan.

Sumber Jabatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia (JPAM) berkata setakat jam 2 petang tadi, dua pusat pemindahan telah dibuka. Masing-masing satu di Asajaya dan Kuching.

Pusat pemindahan Dewan Kampung Jaie, Asajaya, menempatkan enam keluarga setakat jam 11 pagi.

Manakala di Kuching, enam keluarga dari Kampung Sungai Nada dipindahkan ke pusat pemindahan SMK Tabuan Jaya pada jam 2 petang.

Sumber Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat pula memberitahu seramai 17 orang penduduk Kampung Selipar Putus, Tabuan berpindah ke pusat pemindahan SMK Seri Setia pada tengah hari tadi.

Kawasan lain yang dinaiki air di Kuching termasuklah Kampung Nada, Kampung Tabuan Dayak, Kampung Bako Indah, Kampung Bako Hijrah, Kampung Beradek, Taman Desa Wira dan lain-lain.

Ketua Bomba dan Penyelamat Zon Kuching, Tiong Ling Hii berkata pemantauan dilakukan pihaknya dari masa ke semasa.

Timbalan Ketua Menteri Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang merangkap Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Negeri dijadual mengadakan sidang media berhubung situasi banjir di sini pada petang ini. -Utusan Borneo.

Tiada kesudahan

Kampung Usahajaya terus dilanda banjir kilat, penduduk dihantui kebimbangan setiap kali hujan lebat.

SIBU: Hujan lebat hampir dua jam tengah hari semalam menyebabkan kawasan rendah di Kampung Usahajaya, Jalan Sentosa Salim ditenggelami air sedalam dua kaki.

Banjir kilat berlaku itu bagaimanapun bukan sesuatu baharu bagi penduduk kampung memandangkan ia kerap berlaku setiap kali hujan lebat turun.

Menurut penduduk kampung, Jamil Busran, kawasan kampung terlibat adalah sebahagian Fasa 1 dan Fasa 2 Kampung Usahajaya.

“Kawasan yang teruk terjejas ialah Lorong Sentosa 2, Lorong 6 dan Lorong 8. Banyak kediaman dua tingkat dimasuki air terutama tingkat bawah,” katanya kepada pemberita, semalam.

Jamil memberitahu, ini bukan kali pertama banjir kilat berlaku, malah berlaku hampir setiap tahun terutama pada hujung dan awal tahun ketika musim tengkujuh.

Pada penghujung tahun 2014 dan awal tahun ini, penduduk kampung terbabit turut ditimpa masalah yang sama sekaligus menyukarkan kehidupan mereka.

Menurut Jamil, kejadian banjir kilat yang berlaku semalam agak teruk berbanding kejadian sebelum ini.

“Jika banjir kilat ini berterusan, ia menyukarkan semua penduduk terjejas. Jika hujan lebat turun, penduduk yang terlibat pasti akan berasa bimbang,” tegasnya yang tinggal di Lot 725, Lorong Sentosa 8.

Beliau percaya kejadian berlaku akibat pembangunan yang berlaku di kawasan berhampiran kampung, selain masalah perparitan yang tidak sempurna dan jalan yang mendap.

Sebagaimana kejadian akhir tahun lepas, air banjir ini menenggelamkan jalan dan kawasan kediaman penduduk sehingga seminggu, sebelum air surut beransur-ansur.

Keadaan ini memaksa penduduk kampung menggunakan sampan bergerak ke kawasan lebih tinggi, terutama ketika menghantar anak ke sekolah.

Sementara itu, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Bahagian Sibu, Sim Kok Kee berkata, pihaknya telah dimaklumkan mengenai kejadian banjir kilat terbabit.

“Kita akan memantau keadaan banjir ini dari semasa ke semasa, selain berusaha mencari jalan penyelesaian,” jelasnya ketika dihubungi.-Utusan Borneo