MIRI – The 20,000 residents of Marudi, located in the northern hinterlands of Sarawak, were forced to welcome the Year of the Tiger with floodwaters that have not receded for four days.
To add insult to injury, especially for those celebrating the Lunar New Year, the high tide phenomenon exacerbates the problem, a local environmental activist observed.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia chapter coordinator for Sarawak, Jok Jau Evong, told The Vibes that nothing has changed in Marudi since the deluge hit them earlier this week.
“The floods have persisted for four days now, including today. The town itself is cut off to small vehicles, as some parts are under 2ft or 3ft of water.
“The outskirts of villages are flooded, too. The heavy rain started four days ago. And now we have the high tide,” he said.
The town, as well as the Baram district, were hit by the rising water when the Marudi and Baram rivers and its tributaries overflowed, adversely affecting social and economic life.
Jok noted that the situation there is not improving, seeing that the floods are now beginning to spread even further inland.
“Rain has been falling incessantly for a few hours at a time, and we are facing rising floods now. Blocks of shops and supermarkets were forced to close.
“The floods have also inundated villages and longhouses outside of Marudi town, as well as all the river settlements located along Sg Baram, Sg Tutoh, and other tributaries.
“Floodwaters are entering houses, shops, schools... Marudi town is not accessible to small vehicles anymore,” he said, adding that some parts of the roads heading in and out of his hometown are now roughly 1m underwater.
Other badly hit areas include Kg Dagang, Kg Baru, Kg Ridan and Kg Narum, among others.
The Fire and Rescue Department and Civil Defence Unit have deployed teams into the residential areas to monitor the population’s well-being.
Similarly, firefighters have been sent to check on the plight of hundreds of pupils in local boarding schools.
Reports indicated that at least 12 schools have been flooded in the two localities, including SMK Tutoh Apoh, SK Benawa, SK Long Bemang, SK Long Ekang, and SK Long Panai.
At the time of publication, the state Disaster Management Committee, based in Kuching, has yet to release updates on the flood situation today. – The Vibes, February 2, 2022
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