MARUDI, Dec 17: Marudi District Council has been tasked to submit a report to the Miri Resident’s Office next week on the proposal to raise the road level from Marudi town to the ferry terminal as a measure to reduce the impact of flooding.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who was briefed on the suggestion, agreed that it was ideal considering the possibility of flood recurrence especially from January until March next year in Sarawak.
“Make a report and send it to the Miri Resident’s Office by next week,” he said after a briefing by Marudi District officer Markos Sibung on the matter during a visit to see the flood situation in affected parts of the town today.
Markos suggested that elevating the road by at least two feet would prevent the town from being cut off by floods, especially major ones which are occuring or will occur soon due to the monsoon season.
A total of 56 locations comprising villages, longhouses and town residential areas in Marudi district have been affected by flooding since Dec 9. Some 6,449 people from 1,597 families here have been affected.
However, flood waters have been fast receding and as of today, life in 14 areas have returned to normal, while about 20 areas will recover soon and 22 more areas are improving gradually.
So far only nine people including a baby from two families from Kampung Anak Kerbau have been evacuated to the Marudi Civic Centre out of concern for rising flood waters threatened to inundate their homes.
Uggah, who is also State Disaster Management Committee chairman, also suggested that voluntary emergency response teams in longhouses and rural villages be further strengthened or expanded as they could be the first responders to any disaster.
“They could play vital roles in helping and organising the people first before help arrives including from government teams,” he pointed out.
On the reported shortage of cooking gas, he gave assurance that there was no such complaint received by the relief teams on the ground so far.
Baram MP Anyie Ngau who was present, suggested that more longboats and outboard engines be made available for relief teams to facilitate their work and so they could cope with future floods in more inland locations. — DayakDaily
