Residents blame human error, indiscriminate felling of trees for Baling’s worst floods

An angry resident says logs and tree branches have filled up their homes and kitchen, claiming that this have been caused by tree felling in the mountain area.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 – While no reports are out yet on the cause of the Baling’s worst flood on Monday that saw the loss of three lives and more than 1,500 people affected in the various villages along Gunung Inas and its foothills, some residents are blaming it all on “discriminate felling of trees in the mountain area.”

One local resident is blaming it on “human error” saying that logs and tree branches have reached their homes and kitchens and these were trees that had been fell.

The mountain should be left alone, he said. Meanwhile, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan is reported to have said that no active logging activities had been reported in the Gunung Inas Forest Reserve area.

Baling’s worst flood began on Monday following heavy rains and said to have been caused by overflowing flood waters rushing from Gunung Inas.

Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor meanwhile has attributed a water surge in Gunung Inas as one cause, adding that a community tap water reservoir pond (reservoir) in the mountain area, that supplies water to Kampung Carok Kapas and Kg Carok Rotan Mas, had also broken due to the fast flowing rain water.

A community water reservoir that serves two villages in Gunung Inas area has broken following the water surge, said Kedah Mentri Besar. Photo courtesy of MB Kedah Facebook.

He has also requested that a Level I or II emergency be declared in areas that were critically affected to speed up operations to clear the area by state and federal agencies.

He also announced earlier that the Kulim Hi-Tech Water Treatment Plant (LRA) and LRA Pinang Tunggal/Sg Petani operations had to be shut down late Tuesday night due to the high water recession rate following the floods.

This temporary closure will affect 80,000 (Hi-Tech) accounts and 121,000 user accounts (Pinang Tunggal/Sg Petani) and treated water will be delivered to the affected areas through trucks and tankers.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Tuesday also announced immediate assistance to the people affected by the floods including cash assistance.

Other states have also offered assistance to the victims with Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari dispatching a team of post flood relief workers, equipment and volunteers to Baling.

–WE