IN JOHOR, VILLAGERS PANICKY ON FEARS SEMBRONG DAM MIGHT BURST & WIPE OUT THEIR HOMES

JOHOR BARU— The Johor government has attempted to allay fears that four villages in the central area of the state are under threat of being submerged by flood waters, following recent structural damage to the nearby Sembrong dam.

More than 800 residents, from Kampung Sawah Sagil, Kampung Cahaya Baru, Kampung Parit Kangkar and Kampung Dalam, in Batu Pahat and Ayer Hitam were said to be at risk of having their homes destroyed if the Sembrong dam bursts.

However, Johor Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee chairman Dr Sahruddin Jamal said the situation was not at a critical stage and the state government is closely monitoring it with the relevant agencies.

“I personally visited the affected areas [on Tuesday] and wish to stress that there is no statement from authorities saying that the Sembrong dam will burst causing widespread damage.

“Rest assured that the relevant agencies are doing their best to contain the structural damage at the Sembrong dam,” he said when contacted by Malay Mail yesterday.

Rumours regarding the Sembrong dam being in critical condition and at risk of bursting followed a Johor Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID) brief circulating on social media this week regarding damages to the dam, with water seepage due to a sinkhole.

The brief, issued on November 19, noted that to avoid undesirable events, the DID had taken action to release water from the dam to reduce the pressure on its wall structure.

“This action will be carried out continuously until the safety status of the dam is confirmed by those investigating the incident,” read the four-paragraph brief by Johor DID.

The brief also added that due to the action, some low-lying areas of the dam such as Kampung Sawah Sagil and surrounding areas will encounter the released water.

It added that the measure was part of a three-stage Emergency Action Plan (EAP) where the first and second stages have been undertaken by monitoring and identifying the situation, while preventive measures are being executed.

The third stage, which has yet to be implemented, will include evacuation procedures.

Checks by Malay Mail revealed that the brief was genuine and issued by the Johor DID as an initial report on the Sembrong dam’s situation. However, the semi-technical language used may have been wrongly interpreted by the layman and painted an adverse picture of the situation.

At present, Dr Sahruddin said there was no cause for alarm or a need for an evacuation as the DID had only released 0.5m of its total 10m water reserve to alleviate pressure to the dam as per the first and second EAP.

He said some areas of Kampung Sawah Sagil had experienced a minor rise in water levels due to this.

“This is for the DID to carry-out preventive measures and to rectify the situation,” he said, adding that the Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian has also been briefed on the matter during yesterday’s state executive committee meeting.

Dr Sahruddin, who is also the Bukit Kepong assemblyman, said he will closely monitor the on-going progress at the Sembrong dam for the benefit of the public.

Meanwhile, Johor police chief Datuk Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd said police have been alerted on the situation and are on standby for any eventualities.

“At present, the state police have about 300 police personnel from the internal security and public order units pending deployment.

“We are prepared to assist in evacuating residents and securing the effected areas at any time,” he said when contacted by Malay Mail, referring to the police.

At present, Johor is going through a rainy spell due to the year-end inter-monsoon period.

As the state experiences heavy rainfall, the Sembrong dam’s water levels are being constantly monitored by authorities.

All four villages, bordering Ayer Hitam and Batu Pahat districts in central Johor are located in low-lying areas and are known mainly for paddy farming, with 173 acres of paddy fields.

The Sembrong dam was completed in 1984 for RM24 million. Its catchment area is 130.0 km² wide, while its reservoir area is 8.5 km² wide.

MALAY MAIL

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