This year’s monsoon season wasn’t as bad as anticipated, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah. File Photo
KUCHING: The state was not badly affected by flooding this year as anticipated, with only 10 evacuation centres opened across Sarawak.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said this year’s monsoon season saw the evacuation of 196 families, comprising 856 members, in Kuching, Samarahan, Betong, Sibu and Bintulu.
“There were also some landslides (during the floods) that resulted in damage to public properties and utilities.
“This year, the landslide affected not only the residents and their surrounding areas, but also the main roads,” he said after chairing a State Disaster Management Committee meeting here yesterday.
According to Uggah, 17 landslides were reported in residential areas in Kuching, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong, Sibu and Kapit, which three involved main roads in Bintulu, Miri and Sarikei divisions.
He also said this year’s floods disrupted lessons in 38 schools in nine divisions, namely Kuching, Samarahan, Betong, Sarikei, Sibu, Kapit, Bintulu, Miri and Limbang, which affected 3,671 pupils, 517 teachers and 239 non-teaching staff.
Seven government health clinics in Kuching, Serian, Sibu and Bintulu were similarly affected, he added.