Kerian floods: RM800,000 allocation urgently needed to repair bund

Perak Infrastructure, Energy, Water and Public Transport Committee chairman, Datuk Zolkafly Harun, said the allocation would enable the Drainage and Irrigation Department to carry out repair work to strengthen the two-kilometre long bund.

He said two points along the bund were broken, measuring 30 metres and 10 metres respectively, which resulted in some infrastructure in the area being inundated, including homes, schools and oil palm estates.

"As a stop-gap remedy, we have carried out pilling work to stop water from overflowing continuously," he said at a press conference after visiting the affected area and the temporary relief centre (PPS) at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Alor Pongsu, today.

In yesterday's incident, the bund was damaged following two days of continuous heavy rain, and according to Zolkafl, this is the second time the area has been hit by a major flood since 2003.

Zokafly also said that the road between Alor Pongsu and Selama, along Jalan FT 1471 near Kampung Matang Tengah, was closed to traffic after becoming submerged under 0.5 meters of water, posing a danger to motorists.

Meanwhile, PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS), in a tweet, said that the Alor Pongsu lay-bys along the North-South Expressway, in both directions, are still closed to all vehicles, due to the floods.

Elsewhere, affected residents in Mukim Beriah have been advised to evacuate to the nearby PPS for their own safety, said Bagan Serai MP, Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali.

He said that the affected residents need not fear being infected by the COVID-19 virus as those who are symptomatic or are in close contact with infected individuals, will be placed in a special room.

"This move is due to our concern about the Delta variant which can spread very fast," he said at a press conference after visiting PPS at SK Alor Pongsu and SK Changkat Lobak today.

The former deputy health minister was commenting on residents who had expressed their concerns about being infected with COVID-19 if they evacuate to the PPS.

He explained that district health centres have been instructed to place those who have close contact with infected individuals in isolation. Residents have also been advised to practice physical distancing and adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set.