SIBU: Heavy downpour pounded the riverine town relentlessly for the past few days, causing drains to swell. Several parts of Kampung Bahagia Jaya were inundated.
WATER EVERYWHERE: A house in Bahagia Tengah Lane 2, Kampung Bahagia Jaya, is completely inundated.
Some portions of Bahagia Tengah Lane 2 and nearby lanes came under severalfeet of water yesterday as the rain showed no sign of easing.
Pelawan assemblyman Vincent Goh braved the torrential rain to go to the scene to get first hand information.
“I am very concerned about the floods given that this is a low-lying area. But rest assured, I will be discussing with relevant authorities to work something out on how best to reduce the frequency of floods and its severity,” he told The Borneo Post when met at Kampung Bahagia Jaya, Teku.
Goh assured the residents that he would be getting the assistance of relevant authorities to help remove the overgrowth in certain drains.
He added: “This may not solve the flooding problem totally but it will certainly help reduce the frequency of floods as water could be discharged faster.”
Chairman of Sibu Divisional Disaster and Relief Committee Sim Kok Kee, who accompanied the assemblyman, explained that the flooding was caused by gushing water from the
upper catchment area of the village.
The two large drains in the village swelled and overflowed into the low-lying area as water could not be discharged fast enough into Sungai Seduan, which was also recorded a high water level, said Sim, who is also the Sibu Resident.
Meanwhile, a resident there said that the water level had risen as it had been raining for the past few days. She recalled that in 2009, the area was badly affected by floods, causing children to stay indoors and be absent from schools.
She was worried that the incessant rain might cause the situation to worsen.
A brief observation at the village showed that some areas were not passable to smaller vehicles as rain continued to pour. Elsewhere, low-lying areas in the town are still flood-free.