KOTA KINABALU: The Public Works Department director and respective district engineers have been directed to inspect and take action on roads affected by landslides caused by continuous downpour, says Datuk Seri Bung Moktar (pic).
Bung Moktar, who is Deputy Chief Minister and state Public Works Minister, said if the roads involved are under the care of concession companies, they are required to take proactive measures to clean up the road and fix the issue as soon as possible.
For the fallen bridge incident in Kampung Melangkap in Kota Belud, the district engineer and state Public Works director will inspect the damages, he said in a statement.
Continuous heavy rains in the wee hours of Monday (Oct 5) caused flooding in several areas in Sabah’s west coast, cutting off road access to villages and suburban areas in the state capital, Kota Belud and Tuaran.
“We will use the emergency allocation for situations where they are under the purview of the Public Works, ” he added.
The newly appointed minister said he will also visit some flooded areas to understand how the flash floods happen, so that proper remedial actions can be taken.
The government will work on upgrading the draining system as one of the ways to mitigate flash floods especially in Kota Kinabalu and surrounding districts.
He claimed that the current drainage system could not ensure the efficient flow, causing residential and villages at low lying areas to be inundated with water.
Bung Moktar said they would discuss with relevant government agencies like Irrigation and Drainage Department and local authorities, to come up with flood mitigation solutions.
He was aware that road construction and other developments would also cause flash floods during rainy days.
Meanwhile, 38 villages in the Kota Belud district were affected by the rising water level.
As of 7am on Tuesday, five relief centres were opened in Kota Belud, where a total of 314 victims have been placed in four temporary shelters.
The Dewan SMK Taun Gusi 1 relief centre has been activated but no flood evacuees are placed there at present.
“The rescue teams comprising 104 from various agencies are still on the field to monitor and assist in transferring flood victims when necessary, ” said the Kota Belud district disaster management committee secretariat in a statement. -The Star