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Torrential rains caused severe flooding on the east coast of South Thailand (from Nakhon Si Thammarat to Narathiwat), Northeast Malaysia (Kelantan, Pahang and Terangganu) as well as to Indonesia’s capital Jakarta.
BANGKOK- Floods triggered by torrential monsoon rains in Malaysia and Southern Thailand forced people to flee their homes.
In Malaysia alone, almost 14,000 people had to leave their homes and seek shelter at relief centres, the official Bernama news agency said.
Heavy rain coinciding with high tide flooded hundreds of homes in three northeastern states – Terengganu, Pahang and Kelantan – with some 13,746 people moved to evacuation centres, it said amid forecasts of more downpours. Bernama said the flood situation was deteriorating as the number of evacuees continued to rise and some major roads in Pahang were closed as rivers burst their banks.
Muhammad Helmi Abdullah, the meteorological department’s weather forecast director, warned that there could be more rain in Terengganu, Pahang and southern Johor state in the next few days.
“We expect intermittent rain to heavy showers in (some parts of) the states,” he said, adding that the northeast monsoon season would last until March and the affected states could experience at least three more “heavy rain” episodes.
Part of the $US108 million ($104 million) Paya Peda irrigation dam wall under construction in Terengganu had to be broken to release pressure, according to Bernama.The move caused flash floods in some parts of the oil-rich state.
In the Pahang state capital Kuantan, thousands of people and some businesses were affected by flash flooding after three days of continuous rain, forcing around 3000 people to relief centres housed in schools and community halls, where hot meals and blankets were provided.
In neighbouring Southern Thailand, some 20,000 people have been affected by the inundation in the States of Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Nakhon Si Thamarrat and Phattalung. Many schools were ravaged by water suspended classes. The Thai Army has been sent to help dispatching relief bags and evacuate some houses. The province of Nakhon Si Thammarat was particularly affected. Floods hit 110 villages during the past few days. The province’s deputy governor, Thitawat Chaowalit, said officials were now working to ensure the situation returned to normal very soon.
In a related development, flooding in the southern province of Phatthalung has eased after rain hit some areas. Livestock officials were handing out dried grass to farmers in the province to help them cope with the flooding.”We have prepared medicine and medical supplies for the livestock too,” Phatthalung livestock chief Pairoj Intarasee said.
In Indonesia, Jakarta suffered flooding and consequent gridlock during several hours following a torrential downpour last Saturday.
According to the Jakarta Post, traffic was at a near standstill on the city’s main artery, Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta, parts of which were under half a meter of water on Saturday. Only the dedicated TransJakarta busway lane and the outermost lane could be passed. Flooding also paralyzed the Senayan traffic circle, the Casablanca area in South Jakarta, Jl. Kyai Tapa in West Jakarta, and on Jl. Surabaya, Jl. Gatot Soebroto, and Jl. Budi Kemuliaan, according to the Jakarta Transportation Agency.
Separately, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has warned the city to brace for more floods and heavy rains. The peak of the rainy season is expected in late January, according to the National Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
Jakarta new Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said clogged sewers, which he previously earmarked for a cleaning program, had worsened the floods on Saturday. He said the administration had asked the Indonesian Military to send troops to clean the city’s sewers if other relevant agencies failed to relieve Jakarta.
The capacity of the city’s 13 rivers to accommodate runoff water has sharply decreased due to the construction of homes, most of which are illegal and semi-permanent, on riverbanks. Experts say that the most reasonable solution was to dredge and expand the rivers under the Jakarta Emergency Dredging Initiative (JEDI), a joint program of the agency and the Public Works Ministry. Under the JEDI initiative, which has been funded by a US$150 million World Bank loan, 13 rivers in the city are to be dredged.
(Sources: Bernama, AFP, the Nation and the Jakarta Post)
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
