Negeri Sembilan braces for the worst as rivers swell

 

An aerial view of Taman Pinggiran Sungai Kelamah in Tampin which was under water at 5am today. The water has since receded but residents continue to live in fear with continuous rain. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Negeri Sembilan is bracing for the worst with continuous heavy rain in many parts of the state since last night, which has seen several rivers swelling to dangerous levels.

Floods have already hit several areas and 13 temporary evacuation centres have been opened in three districts in the state today.

According to the state’s disaster operations control centre (PKOB), seven relief centres were opened in Tampin as of 9pm today. Four were opened in Jempol and two in Kuala Pilah.

A total of 1,363 flood victims from 365 families are currently being housed in the state’s 14 centres.

State executive councilor Veerapan Superamaniam told FMT that while it has been raining since last night, residents at Tampin, Jempol and Kuala Pilah were able to evacuate their homes in time.

“The flood waters rose early in the morning but we had already informed the people and had them evacuated,” added the Repah assemblyman.

According to the department of irrigation and drainage, Sungai Muar in Rompin town and Sungai Serting in Kampung Datok Johan had reached danger level as of 8.30pm today. Both areas are in Jempol. Sungai Muar exceeded the danger level by 3.1m while Sungai Serting exceeded the danger level by 0.03m.

In Kuala Pilah, Sungai Muar in Kampung Berembang had also exceeded danger level by 0.81m.

Meanwhile in Jelebu, Rosmadi Ariff, the village head of Kampung Chennah, said that while water levels at the Sungai Kenaboi were at a stable level, local authorities in the area were on standby.

Sungai Kenaboi is just 50m away from some of the villagers’ homes and Rosmadi said the rising river has made the residents there concerned – especially after a bridge in the area, which has now been repaired, was washed away by last month’s floods.

“It usually rains in the morning and then stops in a few hours, but now it has been raining the whole day,” he said.

“The rain has stopped now so I will check on the river’s level later.”

Better known as Tok, he previously told FMT that four other villages under his watch, including two Temuan Orang Asli settlements, were badly affected by last month’s floods. - FMT