Bridge and channel to resolve stagnant flood waters in Jalan Kasban

TUMPAT: The government will study the proposal that a bridge be built at Jalan Kasban in Kampung Nibong here, to resolve the issue on stagnant flood waters or 'banjir termenung' which occurs during the monsoon season in the area.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said the construction of the bridge would enable a channel to be provided to drain off the flood waters from the Pengkalan Kubur area here more rapidly to Sungai Golok.
He said that based on initial estimates, the construction of the channel and 100m long bridge would cost between RM9 million and RM10 million.
"I will instruct the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) and Public Works Department (PWD) to study the proposal and if appropriate, they would be built immediately," he said after visiting 646 flood victims from 207 families who are staying at the flood evacuation centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Bunohan, here today.
Also present were the chairman of the Kelantan State Federal Action Council (MTPNK) chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid and the Director-General of the National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) Datuk Zaitun Ab Samad.
In the past, residents in the area were reported to have held a peaceful protest urging the government to demolish the Kasban-Rantau Panjang Road near Kampung Pohon Nibong and replace it with a bridge to ensure that the problem of stagnant flood waters did not recur in the area.
A representative of the residents in the area was quoted as saying that the move would save more than 5,000 families from 13 villages in the area from becoming victims of the stagnant floods, which frequently caused the area being cut off as access roads were inundated.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said the government would provide additional facilities at selected schools which had been gazetted as flood evacuation centres such as toilets and bathrooms to provide comfort to the flood victims.
He said that outside the flood season, the additional facilities could be used by students and teachers of the schools concerned.
Commenting on flood management under NaDMA, Najib said he was satisfied with the efforts carried out and so far, the agency was doing well with the cooperation from the various departments and agencies under the federal and state governments involved.
"Although there were several matters arising which were petty, the management of aid to the flood victims generally was good," he said. — Bernama