SIBU: Bukit Assek assemblyman Joseph Chieng is pushing for the implementation of Phase 4 of the Sibu flood mitigation project to kick off soon.

He said based on input from the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) Sarawak, the fourth phase would be tendered out this year.

“I have already appealed to Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian that, after the tender (process), we must start the project right away. We cannot wait for next year. Phases 1 and 2 have protected the areas that they cover from floods. When we implement Phase 4 of this flood mitigation project, it also covers Bukit Assek and the town areas.

“During the ‘King tide’, you’d notice that the areas at Jalan Keranji and Jalan Bako (in town area) are inundated; that is why Phase 4 is important. The designing is already done, and now I think it’s in the stage of preparing the tender.

“I will keep monitoring this, pushing for the tendering process and implementation,” he said during a briefing at the Civil Defence Force (APM) Sibu District operations centre yesterday, conducted by APM Sibu disaster operations officer, Capt (PA) Azamsah Apearal.

Earlier, the assemblyman handed food items from his service centre, comprising 40kg of chicken, 20kg each of ‘kembung’ (mackerel) and sardines, as well as 10kg of cabbages, to 90 members of the APM and the Armed Forces (ATM).

“I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the hard work and also the dedication shown by our APM, as well as the ATM. Especially during this critical time, they have been in operations for more than two weeks.”

Meanwhile, Azamsah said his team had helped deliver some 3,000 packs of food items to 26 longhouses in Kanowit.

CHINA, 9 Februari- Lebih 30 orang tertimbus dalam kejadian tanah runtuh di wilayah Sichuan, barat daya China pagi semalam yang berpunca daripada hujan lebat di kawasan itu.

Kejadian tersebut berlaku di perkampungan Jinping, bandar Yibin, kira-kira puku 11.50 pagi waktu tempatan.

Penyiar tempatan, China Central Television (CCTV) melaporkan kajian awal mendapati insiden itu berlaku disebabkan hujan berterusan serta faktor geologi.

Dua mangsa berjaya diselamatkan, manakala 29 lagi masih hilang.

"Jumlah akhir masih belum dapat dipastikan", lapor CCTV hari ini.

Presiden China, Xi Jinping, telah mengarahkan pihak berkuasa untuk melakukan segala yang mungkin bagi mencari dan menyelamatkan mangsa yang hilang, mengurangkan jumlah korban serta menguruskan kesan selepas bencana dengan baik.

China dilanda cuaca ekstrem sejak beberapa bulan kebelakangan ini, dengan puluhan orang terbunuh dalam kejadian banjir tahun lalu serta merupakan tahun paling panas dalam rekod.

Para saintis berkata perubahan iklim menyebabkan kejadian cuaca ekstrem menjadi lebih kerap.-AFP

KOTA KINABALU: As floodwaters surged around her home in Kampung Ulu Mawao, Membakut, Maria Alex lay helpless, clinging to hope for a miracle to reach her life-saving dialysis treatment.

The 48-year-old, who is partially paralysed, urgently needed medical attention at Beaufort District Hospital. But with roads submerged and flood currents growing stronger, the odds of making it out seemed grim.

A team of four Civil Defence Force (APM) personnel answered the distress call, wading through the rising waters to reach her.

Carefully, they lifted Maria onto a stretcher and carried her through the flood-stricken village to their waiting ambulance. She was safely transported to the hospital at 11.09am yesterday.

“She’s safe now, and that’s all that matters,” said one of the rescuers, who braved thigh-deep waters to bring her to safety.

Membakut – a sub-district in Sabah’s southwestern Beaufort district, about 90km from Kota Kinabalu – was officially declared a disaster area at 3pm yesterday.

“Based on reports and on-the-ground assessments, we are declaring Membakut a disaster area and have activated the Dewan SMK Membakut relief centre to accommodate displaced residents,” announced district officer Ibrahim Terki.

According to the secretariat of the Sabah State Disaster Management Committee, as of 4pm yesterday, 721 residents from 212 families had been displaced, seeking shelter in five relief centres across three flood-hit districts – Beaufort, Kinabatangan and Tambunan.

Beaufort recorded the highest number of evacuees, with 430 people taking refuge in two centres: Dewan Selagon and Dewan Bisaya. In Kinabatangan, 278 evacuees found shelter at SK Sukau and SK Bukit Garam, while 13 residents were relocated to the Tambunan Community Hall relief centre.

Keningau district officer Peter Jonu @ Peter J Moinjil confirmed that two relief centres – Dewan Keningau and Keningau Community Hall – were closed yesterday.

LAWAS, 9 Feb: Sebanyak 14 Pusat Pemindahan Sementara (PPS) telah dikenal pasti di Daerah Lawas sebagai langkah kesiapsiagaan menghadapi kemungkinan banjir berikutan musim hujan berterusan.

Timbalan Premier Sarawak, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan berkata, langkah tersebut penting bagi memastikan kebajikan dan keselamatan penduduk terjejas dapat diurus dengan lebih berkesan.

“Lebih baik kita bersedia lebih awal. Kita telah mengenal pasti kawasan yang sering dilanda banjir seperti Trusan dan Sundar serta mengambil langkah untuk menyediakan tempat pemindahan bagi mangsa banjir,” katanya dalam sidang media selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat khas yang berlangsung di Majlis Daerah Lawas pada Sabtu.

Dalam pada itu Awang Tengah turut menekankan kepentingan kerjasama antara semua jabatan dan agensi, termasuk ketua masyarakat serta pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) dalam memastikan operasi penyelamatan dan bantuan berjalan lancar.

Katanya, selain persediaan bantuan, kerajaan negeri juga telah mengarahkan Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (DID) untuk menjalankan kerja-kerja pembersihan sistem perparitan bagi mengurangkan risiko banjir kilat.

“Pihak berkuasa juga mengambil kira aspek keselamatan, termasuk risiko tanah runtuh, pokok tumbang serta ancaman buaya yang mungkin berlaku semasa banjir,” jelasnya.

Sebagai langkah tambahan, aset seperti helikopter telah disediakan untuk menghantar bantuan ke kawasan pedalaman jika diperlukan.

“Sekiranya orang ramai diarahkan untuk berpindah, mereka perlu segera berbuat demikian demi keselamatan,” tambahnya.

Dengan persediaan menyeluruh dan koordinasi antara pelbagai pihak, Lawas kini lebih bersedia menghadapi musim hujan dengan langkah kesiapsiagaan yang tersusun dan efektif.-TVS