Floods: Pahang Government to deepen major rivers

The state government will deepen the main rivers in Pahang in efforts to overcome flood disasters that frequently occur especially during the monsoon season.

Religious Affairs Committee chairman, Datuk Syed Ibrahim Syed Ahmad said the government had directed the departments concerned to conduct a detailed study for that purpose. including identifying critical flood areas and the required allocation.

"The state government has discussed this issue in the weekly exco meeting in Kuantan recently which was chaired by Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob.

"The river deepening work is expected to start from Sungai Jelai, Sungai Tembeling and Sungai Pahang as the river beds are now getting shallow," he told reporters after presenting post-flood aid to villagers in Kampung Paya Jejawi, Kampung Bangau, Sanggang and Paya Mengkuang here Saturday.

Also present were Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) director Paimuzi Yahya and Temerloh district officer Datuk Tarif Abdul Rahman.

Syed Ibrahim, who is also Kerdau assemblyman, urged the residents not to make any negative speculations when the works were ongoing later.

Prior to this, he said the state government constantly received criticisms during river deepening works as the locals claimed it polluted the river water.

The abnormal floods that occurred recently had damaged 20 mosques in the state, which was mostly located by the rivers.

Subsequently, he wanted the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) as well as mosque and surau committees to urgently submit reports to the state government to enable the mosques and surau to be repaired.