Thursday, October 22

SMC to meet DID to resolve flash flooding woes in Lorong Sentosa Barat


Dominic seen in knee-high flood water following the latest round of flash flooding at Lorong Sentosa Barat Phase 1 and 2.

SIBU: Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) will hold a meeting with the relevant authorities sometime next week to resolve the long-standing problem of flash floods at Lorong Sentosa Barat Phase 1 and 2 in Kampung Sentosa, Salim here.

SMC Work and Traffic Standing Committee chairman Councillor Ting Hua Sing said the meeting with the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) Sibu and other relevant agencies will look into the how best to address the issue which had plagued residents in the two areas for years.

“The flash flood water gets stagnant because there is no way out for it to properly flow away.

“There are a few factors which cause the flash floods, namely the current rainy season with heavy rain on most of the days, the King Tide at the nearby river, Bakun Dam releasing the excess volume of water, and the shallow earth drain,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Ting said another factor is that Kampung Sentosa is located in a low-lying area, thus exposing its residents to flash floods.

He said one possible solution would be to widen and deepen the shallow earth drain in the affected areas, which would enable the flood water to flow out quicker.

Meanwhile, the latest round of flash flooding affected some 100 residents living along Lorong Sentosa Barat Phase 1 and 2.

One resident, Dominic Usin Ensan, 67, said the residents have had to face the problem since moving to the area more than two decades ago.

He said they would experience several flash floods each year, which they believe is partly due to the inadequate drainage system in the area.

“Every time it rains, the area around my house as well as the roads that connect the homes of other residents will be flooded to the point where the water overflows into our homes.

“I have lived here for more than 20 years and every time it rains heavily for about an hour, the water will rise quickly and enter the house. My family has to always be vigilant and ready to move our belongings to a safer place as the water can rise very quickly,” he said when met.

He added the flooded roads also pose a danger to motorists, especially motorcyclists, at night.

While expressing disappointment that no action has been taken by the authorities to resolve the issue all these years, Dominic nevertheless retained hope that the state government will act address the woes of the residents.