Photo shows the erosion following rain due to the unstable soil structure.
KUCHING: Villagers along Jalan Sungai Bako have blamed soil excavation on a hill near Bako National Park’s south boundary for flash flooding in their area on Saturday (Jan 19).
Duck farmer Tsai Kiam Shin said a group of villagers came together to deliberate on the issue, which could affect their livelihood.
“It is shocking that certain parts of this area have flooded despite it never being hit by floods before this,” said Tsai.
He pointed out that there was at least one foot of water at the multipurpose hall of a nearby school, but thankfully it was not a school day.
In the past, floods with water levels of less than one feet would only occur at certain flood-prone areas, he said.
Tsai (fourth left), Chong (right) and other villagers show maps of where the flooding occurred and photos of the soil excavation work.
“Now we can see the flood happening all over starting at Ulu Sungai Bako and into the inland areas on a much wider scale,” he said.
On his farm and home, Tsai said electrical items such as his fridge were damaged by floodwaters.
He lamented that it took several days to properly clean out the sludge and debris brought in by the flood.
He also observed that most of the drains in the surrounding area were filled with sludge, which made them less effective during heavy downpours.
“It is believed that the sludge came from the top of the hill where the soil excavation works are being carried out in an area of between 18 and 20 acres. The face of the hill, which started to erode in 2018, is also believed to be the main contributor of the sludge which is filling up the drains,” he claimed.
Tsai called on the relevant authorities to solve the problem fast and ensure that the land on top of the hill remains stable.
“I also wish to appeal to the authorities to replant the trees at the hill to ensure that low lying areas will not be badly affected by flash floods,” he said.
According to farmer Chong Win Foon, the hilly area where the soil excavation works started was state land prior to 2016.
“In 2016, a licence was issued to a contractor who cleared the land to build an access road inwards. In 2017, the soil excavation
works started as soon as they reached the peak of the hill,” he said.
On the significance of the hill to the villagers, Chong said, in the last 70 years, some of them used to have their pepper farms on top of the hill.
“I am one of them. Since I was eight years old, I would follow my parents to their pepper farm on top of the hill,” he said.
Chong said some villagers had tried to claim the parcel of land, but this was rejected because it was previously state land.
“When approached, the contractor said they had purchased the land from the land owners. How can this be true when the said land cannot be purchased due to it being a state land?” he asked.
A villager has lodged a complaint with the Natural Resources and Environment Board, which has forwarded the case to the Land and Survey Department for investigation.