KOTA KINABALU – Sugud residents can heave a sigh of relief now that their water and electricity have been restored eight days after being cut off due to the floods that hit the area.
Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) confirmed in a statement today that power supplies will be fully restored in stages in the disaster-struck village.
“Although we are facing difficulties with repair work, it is being done.
“Efforts to restore power supplies will take a bit of time and the technical team is facing challenges such as muddy and slippery roads.
“There are places that are still impassable by our vehicles and our men have had to continue their journeys on foot along with their repair equipment,” said SESB senior manager Idris Mohd Noor.
He also said there are still a few houses without electric supplies as the electrical poles had fallen into soft and wet ground.
The floods that hit Sugud in Penampang on September 15 have left its villagers struggling to recover after electricity and water supplies to the area were cut off.
Residents have begun cleaning up their homes, taking stock of the damage incurred during the devastating floods.
The Sabah Water Department has yet to issue any statements on restoration work, but Sugud residents have informed The Vibes that treated water is already flowing in their house pipes.
A Sugud resident who only wanted to be known as Josli said that he is glad the amenities are back so that he can start cleaning his house.
“It’s been a long wait for us. But nonetheless, water and electricity have returned.
"Sadly, however, I have to throw away the old mattresses because they are soaked with mud.
“The sofas and some furniture are also in bad condition. But I think they can be salvaged,” said the father of two.
Another Sugud resident, although happy that he could finally have a proper shower today, was however unhappy that his car was waterlogged.
He said it would take some time for him to be mobile again.
The Fire and Rescue Department has deployed personnel to clean the village roads.
Figures obtained from the Civil Defence Department revealed that 937 heads of households were affected by the thunderstorm, 500 of which are from Sugud.
Earlier, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad described the devastation as an isolated incident due to the seriousness of the damages compared to other areas hit by the floods.
According to him, a local village woman described the situation as the “worst flood in 50 years” during his visit to the village yesterday afternoon.
“A cabinet paper is being drawn up on the damage incurred in Sugud and I will present it to the cabinet tomorrow.
“I was informed that the assessment for repairs in Sugud alone has run into RM13 million to date,” he said. – The Vibes, September 23, 2021
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