Investigate Cause of Flash Flood in Ulu Legong

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) urges the Kedah State Government, Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) and Baling District Office to investigate the cause of flash floods that recently occurred in Ulu Legong.

The flash flood had seriously affected more than 15 families here wherein their belongings were destroyed or damaged.

Besides Kampung Ulu Legong, five other villages that were affected and faced emergency situation due to the flash flood which occurred two weeks ago were Kampung Siput, Kampung Batu 48, Kuala Kedua, Bukit Sebelah and Kampung Baru.

The affected villagers claimed that the flash flood was caused by logging activities nearby. The logging activity had caused the river water in the village to be polluted with mud and had turned red.

Similar floods have occurred previously but none as bad as the recent floods. Some villagers had suffered damages and destruction to their belongings amounting to RM2,000.

CAP is concerned by this incident and hope that immediate action will be taken by the relevant parties to address it.

CAP believes that if the problem is left unresolved, the environment and lives of the residents in these six villages will be threatened more seriously in the future.

Strict law enforcement by the authorities is needed and severe penalties should be imposed on those who were found to have triggered and caused the flash flood.

CAP also requests the Forestry Department of Kedah to investigate the villagers’ claims that the flash flood here was caused by logging activities. The findings of the investigation must be made public so that the exact cause of the flash flood here is disclosed.

28 January 2016