PENAMPANG: Parti Warisan has called for fast and effective solutions to the flood problems here.
“Let us not politicise this issue but to find fast and effective solutions to the problems, we are here to provide strong and vocal check and balance,” said Pritchard Gumbaris and his team from the Penampang Warisan Branch Unit Pemantau Daerah (UPD).
AdvertisementHe said this following recent flooding issues at Kampung Kohizan, located adjacent to Kepayan Point and Pintas Avenue Kepayan-Kobusak, which prompted them to investigate the matter.
Residents report that flooding has become more frequent following the construction of Pintas Avenue and its drainage system along the retaining wall facing the village.
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“All our furniture has been destroyed and the worst part is that the water takes several days to subside. We have to pump water out of our houses,” said Angeline, one of the worst-affected residents, who shares similar experiences with her neighbour Remy.
AdvertisementDuring the inspection led by Pritchard and his UPD team, they discovered that the drainage system constructed by the Pintas Avenue developer was inadequate.
“The constructed drainages terminated at an earth drainage near the Sabah Electricity tower, with only a small two-foot culvert as an outlet.
Advertisement“When we inspected the outlet at the vegetables and fruits wholesale market next to Kampung Kohizan, the water outflow was minimal, explaining why water remains stagnant in the concrete drainages,” Pritchard said.
Majlis Perbandaran Penampang (MPP) has proposed replacing the two-foot culvert with an earth drainage system to facilitate faster water flow and mitigate flooding.
However, the project awaits consent from the adjoining landowner.
Pritchard called for more proactive measures from the incumbent Kepayan Assemblyperson and political appointees in UPPM and MPP Council.
“They should be more proactive in solving community problems and handle situations quickly, especially given their position within the State Government and access to government utilities and facilities,” he said.
