alhamdulillah, air kian surut dan matahari kembali menyinar di selatan tanahair. semoag kehidupa akan kembali kepada sediakala dan mangsa2 banjir dapat pulang ke rumah masing2.
| January 17, 2007 12:22 PM |   |
Floods In Johor And Pahang Improving
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 (Bernama) — The flood situation in Johor and Pahang further improved Wednesday with fine weather which allowed more victims to return home.
In Johor, 79,888 people were still at 237 relief centres this morning from 80,755 at 241 centres Tuesday night.
Those still at the relief centres are in Batu Pahat (44,234), Kota Tinggi (14,121), Kluang (5,766), Mersing (4,485), South Johor Baharu (2,944), Segamat (4,593), Muar (1,108), Pontian (2,438) and North Johor Baharu (199).
A spokesman from the Johor police contingent flood operations room said the victims were allowed to return home because of the fine weather.
The situation in Kota Tinggi is almost back to normal. The town was inundated with water when Sungai Johor burst its banks, causing it to be cut off from Johor Baharu and Mersing since last Friday.
However, several roads in Johor are still closed to motorists.
In Kota Tinggi, the stretches involved are KM24 Jalan Mawai-Sedili, KM40 Kota Tinggi-Johor Baharu, KM23 Jalan Ulu Tiram-Kota Tinggi, KM32 Bandar Tenggara-Kulai, Jalan Tun Sri Lanang-Bandar Kota Tinggi, Jalan Mawai-Mersing (Batu 7,13,14,15,18 and 20) while in Johor Baharu, they are at Kampung Oren, Jalan Kulai-Kota Tinggi and KM22 Jalan Ulu Tiram-Kota Tinggi near the army training centre (PULADA) following a landslide.
In Kluang, the affected toads are at KM56 and 57 Jalan Kluang-Kota Tinggi, Jalan Kahang-Taman Negara, Ladang Selai and Jalan Kluang-Yong Peng while in Segamat, they are at Jalan Chaah-Yong Peng and Jalan Labis-Muar.
Several roads in Batu Pahat are also affected. They are Jalan Sri Pasir-Sri Medan (passable to only heavy vehicles), Jalan Parit Raja Darat-Jalan Sungai Rambut, Jalan Yong Peng-Parit Sulong, Jalan Batu 7-Kangkar Baru-Paloh, Jalan Sengkuang-Jalan Seri Benggal and KM3-6 Jalan Yong Peng-Labis.
Jalan Felda Nitar-Kluang at Km23, Jalan Sungai Lamoko and Jalan Bulang-Endau in Mersing also remain closed to traffic.
Meanwhile, flood in the Rompin district, Pahang, improved further with three more evacuation centres closed this morning.
A spokesman of the Pahang police contingent flood operations room said only six relief centres were still open for evacuees from six villages.
“Until now, 1,741 people from 321 families are at the evacuation centres from 1,836 last night,” he added.
In a related development, Ambank Group chairman Tan Sri Azman Hashim assured flood victims of speedy payments on insurance claims submitted by clients of AmAssurance affected by the floods.
In a statement issued in Kuala Lumpur today, he said most of those affected by the first wave of floods in Johor, which happened on Dec 19, had received their payments.
He said Ambank also contributed food and other aid, including 15 volunteers, 10 jet skis and 10 boats, for flood victims in Johor and to assist the relevant authorities in their evacuation work.
Last month, the AmBank Group donated RM250,000.
The floods, the worst to have ever hit Johor in 100 years, have not only taken a toll on the lives of adults, but also the children despite their laughter while playing with their peers at the flood relief centres.
“If possible, I do not want to stay in a place like this. I miss my house and want to go home and go back to school. But everything at home is ruined,” said 11-year-old Norhidayu Daimin when met by Bernama at the relief centre, the Sri Medan Hall in Batu Pahat, today.
She has not been to school for a week because of the floods and this saddens her more.
Norhidayu said she had been at the relief centre for five days and could not go home because her house was submerged under chest-deep of flood water.
Her friend, Nursyafikah Katani, 11, said she lost all her books, shoes and school bag which her parents had bought her for the new school session.
Meanwhile, in KOTA KINABALU, the situation in Pitas, the district worst affected by the flood since it hit Sabah last week, has improved with only a relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pekan Pitas II still open.
Pitas District Officer Sapdin Ibrahim said only a few families remained at the shelter due to serious damage to their houses caused by the flood and shortage of food in their villages.
More than 900 people of the 1,398 evacuees from 44 villages sheltered at four relief centres — Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pitas II (Kusilad), PCS Church hall (Kabatasan), SK Pekan Pitas II and Kalumpang hall have returned home since yesterday.
In Sungai Bengkoka, the water has receded to almost normal level at 3m this morning from 4.74m yesterday. The weather was fine and getting brighter, said Sapdin.
— BERNAMA
