MIRI – Several villages and longhouses in parts of northern Sarawak are covered with mud and timber debris after the mudflow brought about by the recent floods.
Social activist Peter Kallang, who hails from Long Ekang in the upper reaches of Baram district, told The Vibes today that the units in his longhouse are covered in thick mud and debris.
“The mud is about 1m high and the debris was washed down from the logging areas by the floodwaters. Not only are our homes inundated for days, but now, we are living in mud.”
Kallang, who is Save Sarawak Rivers chairman, said structural damage has also affected the foundation of homes.
“We will have to dig up and clear the tonnes of mud manually.”
Long Ekang is one of the dozens of populated settlements hit by the latest round of floods in northern Sarawak.
Crops are also badly affected by the disaster.
Today, floods continue to inundate longhouses and villages in some localities in the two districts of Baram and Marudi and three subdistricts of Apoh, Tutoh and Tinjar.
Marudi assemblyman Datuk Penguang Manggil told reporters today that as many as 55 longhouses and kampung are affected in his constituency.
He added that welfare authorities are looking into the deployment of food supplies to the affected families.
“Our crops are destroyed and farm huts badly damaged by the floodwaters. My longhouse in Kuala Tutoh was covered in water above 2m high,” Kiput community elder Michael Ding told The Vibes.
“This is the third round of floods this year already. We may need to relocate our entire longhouse to higher grounds.”
The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee in its updates today said the evacuation of flood victims in Marudi is still in full swing.
Two flood relief shelters have been opened in Marudi town.
The latest reports from the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department and Disaster Management Committee showed that about four dozen people have been evacuated from several villages as of noon today.
Sg Baram, Sg Marudi and their tributaries have overflowed by more than 3m due to torrential rains. – The Vibes, September 7, 2021
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