Flash floods, landslides cast heavy shadow over Penang in 2017

GEORGE TOWN: Penangites will never forget Nov 5, 2017. It was on this date that the state was completely paralysed by the worst floods in its history.
The occurrence of flash floods during heavy rainfall has been a common phenomenon in the state in recent years and some people blame it on an inadequate flood mitigation system that cannot cope with the amount of water as well as indiscriminate hillside development projects.
However, on Nov 5, half of Penang was submerged in floodwaters, particularly the North East and South West districts on the island as well as the Seberang Perai Utara, Seberang Perai Tengah and Seberang Perai Selatan districts on the mainland.
Continuous heavy rain for almost 17 hours, coupled with strong winds, caused dozens of roads to be closed, thousands of houses flooded, hundreds of trees uprooted, and landslides in some areas. The floods claimed seven lives.
The tragedy prompted Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to telephone Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for federal assistance.
In less than two months prior to the big flood, Penang was hit by several flash floods, with the worst record on Sept 15 in 119 areas.
It can be said that Penang was hit by flash floods every other month: Jan 21 in Nibong Tebal; March 4 in 10 areas on the island; May 13 in several areas on the island; July 14 in Jalan Sungai Ara in Bayan Lepas where a man lost his life when he fell into a monsoon drain after his car was caught in the flash floods; Aug 15 in the surrounding areas of Teluk Bahang and Penaga; and Sept 9 in several areas in Nibong Tebal.
State Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow informed the State Legislative Assembly that Penang was hit by 119 flash floods between 2013 and Oct 15 this year.
Whenever there is heavy rain and flash floods occur, almost certainly landslides would take place, such as on July 14 when heavy rain caused a landslide in Taman Lau Geok Swee, in Paya Terubong, which buried a hillside temple.
It was the worst nightmare that came true for many Penangites when 11 workers were buried in a massive landslide near the construction site of a 50-storey affordable housing block in Lengkok Lembah Permai, Tanjung Bungah, on Oct 21.
The 8.57 am incident claimed the lives of one Malaysian, five Bangladeshis, two Indonesians, one Pakistani and two Myanmar nationals.
The possibility of landslides at hill projects in Tanjung Bungah was highlighted twice by the Penang Hill Watch, an initiative by Penang Forum to provide a platform to keep watch on activities affecting the hills in the state, to the DAP-led state government, in January and May, requesting the authorities to halt the projects due to the fear of landslides.
If flash floods and landslides are not enough, Penangites also witnessed a tragic three-vehicle collision involving two factory buses and a factory van that claimed eight lives and injured 23 others on Oct 24.
Eight female factory workers – one Malaysian and seven Indonesians – were killed while on their way to work in the early morning incident at Km147 of the North-South Expressway (northbound) near the Juru Toll Plaza. — Bernama