BUKIT MERTAJAM: A whopping 32 tonnes of rubbish was collected from 10 pump houses in flood-prone areas, by the Seberang Prai City Council, said mayor Datuk Rozali Mohamud yesterday.
The waste was collected across the Seberang Prai Tengah district from 7pm Monday to 4am yesterday, with the aim of addressing flash floods which occurred on Monday.
“Imagine, during that period, as much as 32 tonnes of rubbish was collected ... this is shocking,“ he said, during a press conference here yesterday.
Rozali said the waste which was thrown away indiscriminately by all and sundry, had ended up in the drainage of the pump houses, as a result of the heavy downpour, and this in turn, was among the causes of Monday’s flash floods.
Calling on the public to stop indiscriminate dumping of waste by roadsides and in drains, as this was clogging the flow of water, the mayor also urged everyone to play their part in protecting the environment.
Four evacuation centres were opened on Monday to house victims whose homes were flooded from 4pm Monday.
Up to 3pm yesterday, 66 people remained at the evacuation centre in Kampung Pisang, as did 39 people at the Kampung Permatang Tok Suboh evacuation centre, while the two other centres in Perda Timur and Bukit Teh were closed.
Meanwhile, Penang Irrigation and Drainage Department director Datuk Mohamad Shakir Abdul Hamid said heavy rains would continue to lash at the state for the next several days, particularly the Oct 27 to 29 period, with the situation worsening during high tide.
He urged the public to be prepared as continuous rain exceeding two hours would probably result in floods in low-lying areas, and added that the department would continue to monitor the situation and update the public. — Bernama
