TASEK GELUGOR – Residents of two flood-prone villages here are calling for long-term solutions after flash floods hit northern Seberang Prai last week.
The district was the worst hit in the entire Penang mainland, with 447 individuals from 116 families relocated to flood relief centres set up at SK Padang Menora, SK Lahar Yooi, Sekolah Agama Rakyat Nyior Sebatang and Labuh Banting.
However, some longtime villagers in Kg Sg Korok and Kg Seberang Tok Doi met by Scoop said that this flash flood was one of the many that they have witnessed in their lifetime.
Previously, their villages were hit by floods in 2003, 2013, 2017, 2020, and 2022. The 2013 and 2017 incidents were said to be the worst.
These villages are vulnerable to floods as they are located in between two rivers – Sg Korok and Sg Jarak – which overflowed and flooded the villages and their padi fields within a few hours after downpours started last week. The heavy rain then lasted for days.
The flooding was severe, with the water level reaching waist level, said the villagers.
A local from Kg Seberang Tok Doi, Robiah Hassim, 53, said that flash floods have become a “biennial affair” for the people here. She was among those who were evacuated to SK Lahar Yooi relief centre on September 17 with her family, where they stayed for four days.
When asked what the state and federal governments should do to ensure that the floods could be resolved in their villages, they pointed to one solution – flood mitigation.
Robiah, as well as three other villagers – Muhammad Rosli Mohd Ibrahim, 33; Muhammad Akmal Khalid, 35; and Rosdariah Saidin, 48 – told Scoop that authorities, especially the Irrigation and Drainage Department, should commit towards deepening and widening the parts of Sg Korok and Sg Jarak that flow alongside the village.
The embankment for both rivers must also be raised so that they can hold an increase in river water level during downpours.
The three complained that the existing embankments are not high enough, causing river water to easily overflow into the padi field and into their houses.
Robiah and Rosli also called for barrier walls to be built along the rivers.
Robiah said authorities can look at embankments along the river in Pinang Tunggal, Kepala Batas which were built high enough for the safety of residents who live along the river.
Robiah also recommended that a new and improved version of sluice gates be installed alongside the embankment alongside these rivers once the existing embankment’s height is raised.
She said that these sluice gates should be able to shut automatically when the water level rises, compared to the existing gates which are too dilapidated and positioned lower than the existing ban.
“Please prioritise (flood mitigation works for) Sg Korok as its embankment is lower (than the one alongside Sg Jarak). The raising works for the river embankment needs to be expedited (by the authorities),” she told Scoop.
Adjusting life in a flood-prone village
Living in a flood-prone Kg Seberang Tok Doi has forced the villagers here to change the way they equip their houses.
Rosdariah, a single mother of three, said that she has been buying a small refrigerator and freezer, and a manual washing machine as they are easier to carry upstairs when her house is flooded. She also has minimal furniture and only has steel cupboards.
Additionally, Rosdariah has also erected a steel structure, commonly seen at construction sites, outside her house. The structure is built tall enough to keep household items and necessities when her house, located next to a padi field, is flooded.
However, living in a flood-prone village also comes with dangers for the children – especially exposure to wild animals such as snakes. She shared how her 7-year-old son was bitten by a tiny snake outside the house last Sunday after returning home from the shelter.
Rosdariah took her son to the hospital together with the carcass of the snake, with the hope of identifying whether it is venomous or not. To her relief, that snake was found to be non-venomous.
Meanwhile, Rosli said that he gets worried about his kids whenever it floods as they get excited about rising flood water as “it looks like a pool.”
Not willing to leave their homes
Despite frequent floods, some villagers here said that they could not leave their houses unattended throughout the disaster period due to fear of robbery. Therefore, the men would stay to take care of the house, while other family members stayed at the shelters, according to Robiah.
The men would only leave their houses to collect food at the evacuation centres and to go to work, she added.
Akmal was one of those who had to stay behind to take care of his home when it was hit by floods. However, the janitor managed to send his elderly mother, Mariam Ibrahim to the shelter in SK Lahar Yooi, as well as his wife and infant son to his in-law’s house in Bukit Mertajam.
However, for 73-year-old Rahmah Ahmad, leaving the house during the flood that hit her house last week was never an option as she could not simply leave her two infant grandchildren.
In addition, the colon cancer survivor also still uses ostomy bags, thus making it hard for her to move around.
Given the fact that her household did not move to the shelters when the flood hit their home, they did not receive the RM1,500 federal aid that was given to flood victims in Penang on Wednesday.
“I did not know that those who did not go to the shelters would not get the aid. If I knew that I would have gone,” she said.
However, Rahmah argued that aid should also be extended to flood victims who chose not to go to evacuation centres.
Akmal, Robiah, and Rosdariah were among the evacuees who received the RM1,500 federal aid. However, both of them said that the amount was inadequate as they had incurred up to RM2,000 in damages.
Mitigation works over money, please
Conversely, Robiah and Rosdariah believe that rather than the government repeatedly spending on aid for flood victims in these villages, it should work on flood mitigation works such as building a higher river ban.
The never-ending flood dilemma is not only taking a hit on their economic activities, as padi farmers in these two villages not only have to bear with flooded padi crops when the harvest season is around the corner but also the loss of peace of mind.
“It is really tiring to face floods every two years, to the point where even the Social Welfare Department officials know us. This is embarrassing,” laments Rosdariah. – September 27, 2024
