ID :
38852
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 09:45
Auther :

FLOODS IN KELANTAN WORSEN

KOTA BAHARU (Malaysia), Jan 4 (Bernama) -- The flood situation in east coast
Kelantan-state in Peninsular Malaysia is getting more serious with some 30,000
students in 38 secondary and primary schools unable to attend their first day of
school on Sunday as their schools are closed when flood hit six districts in the
state.

Several locations in the Kota Baharu town have been inundated since 2pm
causing several road stretches to be closed to traffic due to heavy rain since
the past three days, which also resulted in the water in some rivers to rise and
overflow its banks.

A total of 623 people have been evacuated in several districts since flood
hit the state Saturday.

State flood operations room spokesman said 40 of the evacuees were in Kota
Baharu who were given shelter at three relief centres in the district -- Sekolah
Menengah Agama Melor, Surau Haji Daud mosque in Kubang Kerian and at Sekolah
Kebangsaan Tiong.

The others are in Tanah Merah (92), Pasir Mas (331), Machang (111) and Pasir
Puteh (49).

He said Jalan Kota Baharu-Pantai Cahaya Bulan (PCB) had been closed to all
vehicles as the stretch at Kampung Tingkat was under 0.3m of water at noon.

Also closed are Jalan Kampung Banggol, which is under 0.3m of water, Jalan
Pulau Kundor (0.4m), Jalan Kedai Buluh Lama (0.4m) and Jalan Ken Seng (0.5m), he
added.

Meanwhile, the State Drainage and Irrigation Department recorded the
water level at four main rivers in Kelantan to be above the danger level,
including Sungai Kelantan at Kuala Krai, Kusial and the Customs jetty, as well
as Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang.

The water levels at three other rivers have risen to above the alert
mark -- Sungai Galas in Dabong, Sungai Lebir in Tualang and Sungai Golok at
Jenob, while Sungai Semerak in Pasir Puteh is at its normal level.

In a related development, Kelantan Education director Mohd Ghazali Abdul
Rahman, when contacted, said schools which were in operational because of the
floods were allowed to shut down on the requests of their respective headmasters
or principals, and the school day would be replaced.

Meanwhile, State Social Welfare Department director Mohd Noor Chik said the
department was allocated RM1 million (US$288,197) a year for relief aid to flood
victims at relief centres, including for their food supply, blankets and other
basic needs.

He said the department had spent RM270,000 (US$77,842) when the first
round of flood hit Kelantan at the end of November last year.

--BERNAMA

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