IPOH – The recent flash floods in Perak were primarily due to the exceptionally heavy or extraordinary rainfall, said the state Drainage and Irrigation Department director.
Ahmad Shahrir Md Naziri said the department found that some flood incidents were due to rainfall over 50 ARI (average recurrence interval), which is an exceptionally high reading for small rivers.
“In Perak, most of the flooding occurred in areas with relatively narrow rivers and their usual capacity could handle only about two to five ARI.
“So, we have implemented various methods to address this matter. For your information, we carried out flood preparedness programmes earlier, which ran smoothly, but it was somewhat surprising because floods occurred while the construction process was still underway,” he said at a media conference, here, today.
He stated that for any ongoing flood preparedness projects, instructions have been issued to expedite them.
Earlier, Shahrir attended the state-level World Rivers Day celebration and the launching of Friends of Kinta River Basin (FOKiRB) by state infrastructure executive councillor Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.
As of this morning, the secretariat of the state disaster management committee in a statement said the number of flood victims rose to 38 people, from 35 from eight families yesterday, placed at the temporary relief centre in SRK Changkat Lobak in Kerian district.
Meanwhile, Nizar said FOKiRB, which was established last year, currently has 40 members from 17 community groups or local organisations in the vicinity of the Sg Kinta catchment area.
“The members have been empowered in the healthcare of Sg Kinta, serving as the eyes and ears for government agencies and departments to monitor and report incidences of pollution,” he said.
Members of FOKiRB, community groups and the Kinta district Drainage Department today received appreciation certificates and river monitoring kits to assist in carrying out river maintenance activities in their respective areas. – September 24, 2023