MERBOK – The Kedah government plans to build a riverside water catchment project in Sg Tupah, here, to store raw water flowing in the river from Gunung Jerai, Yan.
Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said currently there are two such projects in the river and plans are afoot to build another one to maximise water storage for residents in the Merbok area.
“During the rainy season there is a lot of water flowing from Gunung Jerai, so we will build another catchment project in the river. If we do not trap this water, then it will simply flow into the sea.
“Therefore, it is best to collect this water and store it in the reservoir for use by residents during the dry season,” he told reporters after visiting the affected flood areas in Tupah here today.
According to him, this is one of the initiatives that the state government had discussed with the Environment and Water Ministry yesterday for the rehabilitation of several areas in the Yan and Kuala Muda districts, which were hit by flash floods due to the water surge phenomenon, on Wednesday.
During the discussion, Sanusi said the state government proposed that the ministry do some upgrading work to raise the height of two bridges in Sg Tupah to accommodate a larger volume of river waterflow underneath them.
The existing bridges are low so when there is a water surge phenomenon, the water carrying twigs and wood will get stuck under the bridge, causing an overflow into residents’ homes.”
Meanwhile, Sanusi said the flooding also caused blockages at the water treatment plant in Tupah thus affecting water supply to residents and making it difficult for them to wash their mud-filled homes.
To solve the problem, he said the volunteer fire services will be on hand to help channel the water supply from Sg Tupah to residential areas so that residents can clean their houses.
Separately, the Environment and Water Ministry has allocated about RM5 million to implement repair water supply, drainage and irrigation and flood mitigation systems in Yan and Kuala Muda.
The ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Zaini Ujang said the allocation had been utilised to implement prompt rehabilitation work.
He said in a statement that the Kedah government would repair the damaged infrastructure.
This was decided following a discussion with Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor at his official residence last night.”
The ministry had said that the flood resulted from abnormally heavy rainfall in a relatively short span of time in Gunung Jerai which caused a water surge phenomenon.
It said the water surge swept along garbage, tree and wood debris snagged on bridge structures and crossings.
Zaini also said that the National Water Services Commission had coordinated repair works and the resumption of water supply, including mobilising experts from the Royal Army Engineers Regiment of the Territorial Army.
“The water tanker lorries are also delivering water supply and distributing 1,000 five litre bottles of drinking water to residents in the affected areas,” he said. – Bernama, August 20, 2021
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