KUANTAN – The massive flood in Maran district changed the entire landscape of the Lubuk Yu Forest Eco Park, about 100km from here, which is now choked with mud, tree branches, and trees brought by the currents during the incident.
Located in the Berkelah Forest Reserve, the location, famous for its hammocks, is now filled with reddish mud.
The park’s managing director Juhari Che Lah said the place was now completely different from what it used to be.
“I am sad to see what the flood has brought. The mud is half a metre high. The place has completely changed from what I had been working on all these while. We have had a hard time moving about because of the mud, and I expect dusty conditions when the mud starts to dry.
“We have been forced to call an oil palm truck to help make a temporary route to enable the villagers to enter because they want to help deliver food supplies,” he said today.
Juhari said strong currents on Sunday also destroyed Lubuk Yu’s signature porch, where visitors most preferred to take pictures.
During the incident, Juhari said only one car and two motorcycles were evacuated to high ground with the help of his wife Ayu Monyra Mokhtar, 43, before they were both trapped because the exit was flooded.
“We were in near darkness for two days, relying only on a wood fire. We prayed that the situation did not get worse after having only biscuits and mineral water left.
“I know many people wanted to come and help, but the flood water was too high for them to get here,” he said.
Pahang Tourism, Culture, Environment, Plantation and Commodity Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin admitted that the floods this time had severely affected tourist hotspots.
“The work to clean and repair this area will take time, but we will try to help as much as possible so that tour operators do not have to wait for too long as they had already been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic before.
“I also suggest that players in the tourism sector who were affected by Covid-19, and now the floods, be given a moratorium to ease their burden. This is an unexpected thing and it should be given consideration,” he said. – Bernama, January 7, 2019
