Massive floods show need to check hill development, says Penang group
GEORGE TOWN: A residents’ group has urged the Penang government to carry out an audit on the hills of Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi and to stop approving new development in the area following flash floods on Tuesday.
The Tanjung Bungah Residents’ Association (TBRA) said muddy water flowing from a hill slope near Leader Garden and another at Sungai Emas in Batu Ferringhi was a telltale sign of soil erosion, lack of proper drainage and over-development.
A state government official, however, said the flooding was a rare event, following a record 211mm of rainfall in the northern coast covering Teluk Bahang, Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Bungah.
TBRA chief Meenakshi Raman said such heavy rain would be a regular event in the future because of climate change.
Meenakshi said the flash floods had caused muddy water to gush down a hill near Jalan Chan Siew Teong and Leader Garden. Another hill slope near Persiaran Tanjung Bunga 3, where a cave-in happened in 2017, was also seen with a lot of muddy water.
She said the fact that villages in Batu Ferringhi were in 1m of water on Tuesday showed that drainage was poor and had not been upgraded.
“We are not adapting to the changing climate and our town planning is not climate-resilient. Damaged hill slopes must be rehabilitated and new drains built to keep up with the intense rainfall,” she told FMT.
Out of control development
Meenakshi, who is also the Sahabat Alam Malaysia president, said the flooding showed that pleas for controlled development in Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi had fallen on deaf ears. She claimed flash floods occurred because of over-development.
She said a previous development limit of 15 units of housing per acre had now been increased to “unlimited” under the new 2030 state structure plan.
In view of the erratic rainfall, she said, the state government should adopt climate-resilient measures such as a “sponge city” concept, where excess rainwater could be kept in underground reservoirs instead of flooding the streets and emptying into the sea.
“I’m afraid these small beach towns would not be able to cope in the long run. That is why we keep saying, keep development out of these areas,” she said.
Govt attending to issues
Infrastructure and transport committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said 211mm of rainfall was recorded between 8am and 11am on Tuesday, based on Department of Drainage and Irrigation data.
He said concerns raised by residents over the hill slopes near Persiaran Tanjung Bunga 3 were being heeded through strengthening the slopes. However, work had to stop because of the MCO.
Zairil said authorities were investigating the spilling over of muddy water from a giant monsoon drain into a residential area at Sungai Emas, Batu Ferringhi. They are investigating if a construction site nearby could have caused it.
In the meantime, he said, the authorities would study the layout of villages in Batu Ferringhi to mitigate future flooding. - FMT
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