PADANG TERAP: Some 1,500 residents of three villages in Mukim Pedu are getting more worried as each day passes as the banks of a river which runs near the main road in the area is quickly eroding.
The erosion began during the rainy season last year when the river overflowed its banks, flooding the area, and residents of Kampung Keda Bukit Kura, Kampung Bukit Buluh and Kampung Lubuk Merbau say the banks now seem to be creeping closer and closer to the road.
Hussin Said, 70, said the erosion is threatening the safety of the residents of the villages as the road is used daily by them.
“In the rainy season, the river flows swiftly. It was the worst in October last year when the river overflowed, causing flooding. Some 5m of the bank was swept away by the river.
“Right now, the erosion has come to within a metre of the road. Some trees have been swept away as the bank has been collapsing. We are afraid that the road, too, will collapse.
“It will disrupt our daily lives, or worse yet, cause injury or death to those who may be caught in the collapse,” he said.
Another resident, 62-year-old Mat Tajudin Arshad, echoed Hussin’s worries.
“The bend at this area is also quite sharp, so even if the road collapses when no one is using it, the fact is that the driver of any vehicle traveling here may not see it until it is too late. They may even end up in the river.
“The erosion has almost reached the roadside, but if you are not from around here you probably won’t notice it as what remains is covered with tall lalang. The authorities need to take action (to shore up the banks) immediately.”
Kampung Keda Bukit Kura Village Development and Security Committee chairman Abdul Hamid Ibrahim, 66, said he had lodged a report with the Padang Terap district Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) but had yet to receive any feedback.
A department spokesman, when contacted, said it would send engineers to assess the situation for further action as soon as possible.
“DID will get in touch with the village development and security committee to work with them... once the assessment is completed, we will know what action needs to be taken.”