BAU: The recently completed RM34 million Bau Flood Mitigation project may be unable to stop floods from happening in areas outside Bau town, said Assistant Minister of Environment Datuk Peter Nansian yesterday.
WE ARE READY: Nansian (tenth left) and others with the boats which were handed over to JKKK of Buso.
Speaking at the presentation of rescue boats at Kampung Buso near here, he said Bau town and the nearby areas could now be considered ‘free’ from flood disasters which had always plagued the district during rainy seasons.
However, the people here should not be complacent but must remain vigilant to any rise in water level.
“The mitigation project will protect the town of Bau, but it does not mean it can stop floods in other areas in this district.
“As such, the people here must remain vigilant and be prepared for any possibility,” he cautioned.
Nansian, who is also Tasik Biru assemblyman, also spoke of the need for all flood evacuation centres in Bau to be on standby due to the high possibility of flooding during the current rainy spell.
He pointed out that the Meteorological Department had predicted at least 20 per cent more rainfall than the average for this month.
With wetter days expected ahead, he said flood operation rooms must be activated as soon as there is a rise in water level.
“We cannot afford to delay things such as evacuating people from flood-hit places. We must always be prepared, and act fast because floods are unpredictable and not easy to control,” he said.
On a related matter, he praised the folks of Buso, Suba Buan and Tondong for establishing Flood Action Committees in their respective villages.
He said such a move was timely because these three villages are flood-prone and always inundated by water during rainy seasons.
“The people in flood-prone villages must also mobilise themselves and pool their resources together in order to help each other during floods. We, in the government, will provide them with logistics and equipment,” he said.
Also present yesterday were Penghulu Ricky Lee, Buso headman Deris Seman and its Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) members.