“Alhamdulillah kami dapat tinggal di rumah lebih selamat sekarang,” kata Muhamad Ridzuwan Salehhudin, 33.

Pemandu teksi itu, antara yang terjejas insiden letupan paip gas di Putra Heights, sebelum ini tinggal di rumah bapa mentua di Kampung Tengah, bersama isteri, Farihatul Shazwin Azrim, 26.

Bagaimanapun, katanya, polis memaklumkan rumah itu tidak selamat didiami kerana banyak kerosakan termasuk pada pintu dan bumbung.

“Apabila kerajaan negeri tawarkan Rumah Selangorku sebagai rumah sementara, kami terus buat permohonan untuk mendapatkan Pangsapuri Seri Suria di Kota Warisan.

“Bantuan selama enam bulan ini sudah pasti akan meringankan beban kami sekeluarga,” katanya selepas Majlis Penyerahan Kunci Rumah Pangsapuri Seri Suria, di sini, semalam oleh EXCO Perumahan dan Kebudayaan Selangor, Datuk Borhan Aman Shah.

Muhamad Ridzuwan berkata, dia turut berhasrat menyambung sewa di rumah berkenaan kerana sebelum ini memang sudah mempunyai impian memiliki unit Rumah Selangorku.

“Saya berharap permohonan untuk menyewa selepas ini juga dapat diluluskan dengan lebih mudah,” katanya yang menganggarkan kerugian RM20,000 dalam tragedi pada 1 April lalu.

Rumah rosak teruk

Kontraktor, Abu Samah Rahmat, 58, pula berkata rumahnya di Kampung Tengah yang didiami sejak 1970-an rosak teruk dan tidak selamat diduduki ketika ini.

Katanya, sementara menunggu kediaman itu siap dibaiki yang tidak diketahui bila, dia bersetuju menerima tawaran Rumah Selangorku.

“Saya akan tinggal di Pangsapuri Seri Suria bersama tiga anak dan lokasi ini juga strategik untuk kami sekeluarga ke tempat kerja. Rumah ini juga selesa bagi kami anak-beranak kerana selain berkeluasan 1,000

kaki persegi, ada tiga bilik dan dua bilik air,” katanya.

Abu Samah berharap rumahnya yang rosak teruk dengan anggaran kerugian RM30,000 dapat siap dibaiki dalam tempoh enam bulan. “Kalau boleh memang hendak duduk semula di kediaman sendiri dan berharap ia dapat disiapkan dalam tempoh berkenaan,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Borhan berkata, seramai 75 mangsa insiden itu membuat permohonan Rumah Selangorku dengan empat mangsa bersetuju tinggal di Pangsapuri Seri Suria, manakala baki masih dalam proses meneliti tawaran itu.

“Bagi yang rumah rosak teruk dan perlu tempoh lama untuk dibaiki, saya sarankan ambil peluang tawaran Rumah Selangorku untuk lebih selesa,” katanya.

Beliau turut mengalu-alukan mana-mana pihak yang berhasrat menawarkan bantuan menyewakan kediaman kepada mangsa Putra Heights tampil bekerjasama dengan kerajaan negeri.

Isnin lalu, kerajaan negeri menerusi Lembaga Perumahan dan Hartanah Selangor menawarkan 100 unit kediaman Rumah Selangorku di Pangsapuri Seri Suria, kediaman baharu dan lengkap dengan kipas dan lampu, berdasarkan konsep ‘siapa cepat dia dapat’.

GEORGETOWN: Penangites both on the island and mainland were caught in floods over the last few days – and they can expect more wet days until next month.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department has warned of thunderstorms potentially causing flash floods during the monsoon transition period from March 25 to May.

The transition marks the end of the 2024/2025 northeast monsoon, which began last November.

During this phase, the country will experience light and variable winds from various directions that could lead to the formation of thunderstorm clouds.

The thunderstorms are typically short but intense, often bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds, especially in the evenings and early nights in most areas in the west and interior of the peninsula, as well as western Sabah and Sarawak.

Yesterday, heavy rainfall and high tides triggered flash floods across several low-lying areas in the state, with water surging into homes around midnight.

Overflowing drains quickly led to submerged streets and flooded porches within an hour. Retiree Ooi Kim Leng, 70, from Taman Siakap in Seberang Jaya, said he had little time to act.

“I couldn’t sleep as water levels in the drain and on the road rose rapidly since it started raining at about midnight.

“By 3am, the front and back of my house were flooded, and wooden furniture was damaged.”

His neighbour Mohd Tahar Abdullah, 78, who has lived in the area for nearly 40 years, said residents there are “tired” as they have suffered the floods for so many years.

Padang Lalang assemblyman Daniel Gooi said several flood mitigation projects are underway. “Among the solutions is the Jalan Tembikai flood mitigation project, which will be implemented by the Seberang Perai City Council.

“Temporary riverbank reinforcement has already been carried out along Jalan Bukit Minyak by the Penang Irrigation and Drainage Department,” he said.

KOTA KINABALU — The Sabah Ministry of Public Works has prioritised flood mitigation in the planning and construction of the Pan Borneo Highway to ensure it does not negatively impact the drainage system, the Sabah state assembly was told today.

Assistant Minister Datuk Limus Jury said several measures were taken during the early stages of the project, such as route planning and design, flood simulation and risk assessment, as well as the construction of elevated roads in Beaufort.

“Throughout the construction phase, efforts have been made to minimise flood impact, including the maintenance of both temporary and new drainage systems, as well as improvements to drainage design,” he said.

He was responding to a question from Dr Daud Yusof (Warisan–Bongawan), who had asked about the steps taken to prevent flooding in low-lying areas during heavy rain, particularly concerning the Pan Borneo Highway project.

Limus added that the alignment planning and design for the highway underwent thorough evaluation and was approved by the relevant government agencies, including the Sabah Department of Irrigation and Drainage. 

“In addition, the Sabah Environmental Protection Department has also played a key role, including approving the Environmental Impact Assessment report and overseeing flood simulations conducted before the project was started,” he said.

Limus added that the project contractor is responsible for ensuring that both temporary and new drainage systems remain free from sediment, debris or vegetation, with routine monitoring and maintenance carried out to ensure smooth water flow at all times.

“The project team has also taken the initiative to enhance the original drainage designs along the Pan Borneo Highway boundary, based on current needs and on-site conditions, to improve drainage and reduce the risk of flooding,” he said. — BERNAMA

KABUL, 16 April (Bernama-Xinhua) – Gempa bumi berukuran 5.6 magnitud melanda wilayah Nuristan di timur Afghanistan pada pagi Rabu, lapor Kajian Geologi Amerika Syarikat (USGS), menurut Xinhua.

Menurut USGS, gempa bumi melanda Parun City, ibu negeri wilayah Nuristan, pada 3:43 pagi waktu tempatan, dengan pusat gempa terletak pada kedudukan 35.95 darjah latitud utara dan 70.56 darjah longitud timur, dengan kedalaman 99 km.

Nuristan ialah wilayah terpencil dan bergunung-ganang yang bersempadan dengan Pakistan. Disebabkan akses terhad kepada Internet dan telekomunikasi, masih tiada laporan mengenai mangsa dan kerosakan akibat bencana itu.

– BERNAMA-XINHUA