Floods dampen Deepavali celebrations in Teluk Intan, again

 

Shaliniswary Sathiamoorthy (right) with her mother Selvarani.

TELUK INTAN: For Shaliniswary Sathiamoorthy and her family, this is the second consecutive Deepavali that floods have dampened their spirits.

The 22-year-old said her neighbourhood in Taman Muhibbah located along Jalan Maharajalela here has been flooding frequently since January, with only one or two months’ respite.

Over the months, she has lost all her furniture downstairs and also her washing machine. This time, the floods struck on the eve of Deepavali and the waters recede every afternoon and rise again the next morning.

“I built a two-feet concrete barrier at the front entrance to prevent the water from entering the house but it was of no use and it is now harder to get the water out of the house,” said Shaliniswary, on the fourth consecutive day of flooding.

“My house was flooded last Deepavali too and we were informed that a bund had broken but I don’t know if the problem has been fixed. This time, the water had risen higher, up to more than three feet (1m),” she added.

Shaliniswary and her four siblings live in the rented house, which is on a lower-lying area, compared with the rest of the neighbourhood. It is located near an oil palm plantation.

Shaliniswary Sathiamoorthy’s mother Selvarani scooping the water out of the house.

A street vendor who sells snacks, Sumathy Ramasamy, 41, said she was contacted by a well-wisher on Friday, placing an order for some food to be delivered to the victims in this neighbourhood and those in Taman Seri Intan.

Sumathy explained that because these two areas are so close to the plantation, many are afraid to stand in the floodwaters and cook a meal even if the water level receded to ankle- high.

“You never know what will turn up in these murky waters – snakes and other creatures whose habitat is the plantation, which is also flooded.”

Despite being in the same situation, Thasagirinathan Kumarasan, 17, came out to help distribute the food parcels to residents in Taman Muhibbah and also help clean two houses in the neighbourhood.

Raja Munusamy, 32, from the neighbouring Taman Desa Aman who also came out to help distribute food parcels at about noon, said many people were busy still cleaning up and were so grateful to receive some food.

“Some of them said they were feeling faint from exhaustion and hunger. It will be 3pm by the time they finish cleaning their homes,” explained Raja who added that all the nearby shops were closed too because of the flood waters that had crept into the neighbourhood.

Yesterday, Bernama had reported that 12 areas were affected by a high tide phenomenon, according to a Hilir Perak disaster management committee secretariat spokesman, but no one has been evacuated so far.

The affected areas were Kampung Sungai Kerawai, Kampung Terengganu, Pekan Teluk Intan, Kampung Esso, Kampung Pisang (Batak Rabik), Ban Taman Maharani, Lorong Kalat (Batak Rabit), Batu 6 Jalan Maharajalela, Taman Muhibbah Batu 6, Taman Desa Aman, Kampung Batak Rabik, and Lorong Masjid Kampung Bahagia. - FMT