SIBU: In the light of the phenomenal flooding in Bintulu, the authorities here should be prepared in all aspects in case the flood waters hit residents even harder than they already have in certain parts of the town.
Pointing out this, former Bukit Assek assembywoman, Irene Chang said during her recent
inspection of the flood-affected areas, she observed with deep concern that roads at Belian Road, Merlin Road, Jalan Geronggang and Hua Kiew Road do not have any clear signage or indicators at their edges to alert road users to the presence of the drains.
“Complaints have also been received from those in Ulu Sungai Merah that they are facing the same problem at Ling Kai Cheng Road as they didn’t know where the edge of the road is.
“This oversight poses a significant safety risk, particularly for motorcyclists who navigate these roads, especially when the floodwaters are murky which cause the drainage to be not immediately visible,” she said in a statement on Saturday.
Chang, a lawyer by profession, said when floodwaters rise and obscure the road edges, motorcyclists are at a heightened risk of inadvertently dropping into uncovered drains, which could result in serious accidents or injuries.
She explained that the lack of warning signs exacerbates this danger, especially when visibility is compromised due to murkiness or poor weather conditions.
Sibu Municipal Council (SMC), she asserted, should take immediate appropriate measures to install visible and clear signposts or barriers at all flood-prone locations, indicating the presence of drains to guide the road users safely through these areas.
She pointed that this would help mitigate the risk of accidents and ensure the safety of all road users during such challenging conditions.
Pending the flood mitigation project to be completed as promised by the government, she viewed that the local authorities, rather than just be prepared for the aftermath, should take proactive measures to prevent or to at least minimise the effects of King Tide and the monsoon season.
In fact, she said that the yearly flooding is a stark reminder of the long-standing neglect by the authorities in addressing this issue.
While it may be claimed that the flood mitigation project takes time to be implemented and to be fully effective and also natural factors such as heavy rainfall do play a role in causing floods, she argued that failure to take regular steps to reinforce flood prevention measures such as timely clearing and maintenance of the drainage systems and, thereby, causing the waters to not flow out sufficiently fast enough often contributes to the severity of the flooding incidents.
“I therefore call on SMC and the Department of Drainage and Irrigation (DID) to take proactive measures by ensuring that all drains are always properly irrigated and desilted and cleared of rubbish at all times to safeguard the lives and property of the people,” Chang added.
