KUCHING: Several thousand villagers from Kg Mambong to Kg Bangau will be affected by floodwaters if rain fell for a few hours — unless the authority concerned builds a bigger U-shaped culvert.
Sanjan Daik, political secretary to Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Deputy Minister Chong Chieng Jen, said there were two twin culverts, which were too small to hold the water that flowed from a catchment area to Sg Masaan and Sg Bedang.
“If you have a few hours of rain, the whole road from Kg Mambong, Kg Sikog, Kg Simboh, Kg Petag, Kg Staang, Kg Bangau and other villages will be flooded, including the football field at Kg Simboh.
“The flash flood causes a lot of inconvenience to the villagers, who have no choice but to use that link road to their villages,” he explained.
“To make matters worse, the water carries down debris which blocks the entrance of the culvert, causing the level of water to go up.”
Sanjan added that due to constant water rushing down the culvert, there was soil erosion on the side of the road. Should the road collapse, he said, there would be an even bigger problem.
He had written to the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) to seek help a few years back.
The DID came to inspect the area but so far, nothing was done, he said.
During the visit to the site, Sanjan presented a cheque amounting to RM2,000 on behalf of Chong to the Village Development and Security Committee for the upgrading of the community hall.
