Story by Danny Ooi & Amanda
Khong
Pixs by Darwina Mohd Daud
& Shum Jian Wei
EXCESSIVE rainfall is among the contributory factors for flash floods in Teluk Bahang and
some locations in Bayan Lepas and Batu Maung.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the rainfall distribution in Teluk Bahang is 250 millimetres (mm), a record since 2008.
He said Kampung Paya, Kampung Suluk, Kampung Nelayan and Kampung Masjid near Teluk Kumbar, Kampung Binjai near Bayan Lepas, Penang International Airport (PIA) and Bayan Lepas town were hit by flash floods.
He added that Taman Iping near Batu Maung also experienced flash floods.
Like the flash flood in Teluk Bahang, there was never any occurrence of flash flood in the other areas following heavy rainfall before this.
“The average rainfall distribution of 250mm during the drought season is the collective distribution for one month and not for five days as experienced in Teluk Bahang, resulting in flooding,” he told a press conference at the temporary flood relief centre in Teluk Kumbar on
July 18.
Also present were Deputy Chief Minister 1 Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon, exco for Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation
Chow Kon Yeow, exco for Islamic Affairs, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim and exco for Welfare and Caring Society Phee Boon Poh.
Earlier, Lim was briefed on the flash flood occurrence from constituency co-ordinator for Bayan Lepas Azrul Mahathir Aziz, Southwest district officer Ederis Mat Din, director of the Drainage and Irrigation department Penang, Sabri Abdul Mulok, head of disaster and operations
of state Civil Defence Department (JPAM), Mohd Aizat Abdul Ghani and Bayan Lepas project engineer, ZamriYusof.
It is learnt that 23 families from Teluk Kumbar and five from Teluk Bahang were evacuated to the temporary flood relief centre in Teluk Kumbar with the help of five officers and 10 staff from the Civil Defence Department.
In reply to the media, the Chief Minister said assistance to flood victims will be carried out soonest based on the standard operating procedure (SOP) outlined by the state government.
He hoped the flood victims housed at the Community Hall in Teluk Kumbar will extend their fullest co-operation to Mohd Aziat.
Meanwhile, at the same press conference, Chow said the state government has approved a few projects for flood mitigation in the Southwest
district.
“Among the projects are RM2 million for Sungai BayanLepas near Kampung Binjai, RM3.175 million for Taman Iping and the latest being
RM7.2 million for Sungai Teluk Kumbar.
“For the start, the Flood Mitigation Department has approved the construction of an additional water pump at the existing pump house with an
expenditure of RM3 million.
“However, with feedback from the consultant, we (the state government) have decided to build a new pump house nearer to the mouth of Sungai
Teluk Kumbar and this has incurred additional cost of RM7.2 million,” added Chow, who is also the Padang Kota assemblymember} else {