Continuous downpours expected till today, state government cautions
JOHOR BARU: The flood situation in Johor could worsen if downpours that have been happening since Friday do not ease, the state government has cautioned.
State works, transportation, infrastructure and communication committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said heavy rain was expected to persist till today with flooding expected in many locations throughout the state.
No safe ground: A car being swept away by floodwaters at Taman Mawai. — THOMAS YONG/The Star and Bernama
“We are still in the monsoon season and if the rains continue, this could lead to major floods and a large number of victims,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Mohamad Fazli said the state government had been proactive in addressing the flooding issue with preparations having begun before the monsoon season started.
“Among the short-term measures we took was clearing up drains and irrigation channels to minimise the impact of floods,” he said.
Villagers walking through the floods which hit Kampung Kangkar Tebrau.
On the RM1.4bil flood mitigation project, the exco member said this was among several important initiatives to control and manage floods, with the impact to be fully assessed once all work has been completed.
“There are 10 main flood mitigation projects in Johor covering several districts such as Segamat, Tangkak, Batu Pahat and Kota Tinggi.
The condition of houses hit by floods in Kampung Paya Kenangan following continuous rain.
“To date, nine of the projects are being implemented, with the other still in the pre-implementation stage,” he said, adding that the allocation was from the Federal Government.
Mohamad Fazli said the flood mitigation project was expected to reduce the risk of flooding at 139 identified flood hotspots in Johor.
He said several other flood mitigation projects were being planned with RM1.9bil applied for under the 12th Malaysia Plan.
