December 15, 2023
BACHOK – The potential collapse of a riverbank behind a home in Kampung Kuau is worrying villagers here after heavy rain in the area.
Villagers had informed the homeowner, 73-year-old Hassan Ahmad, that the lower part of his house had collapsed and was washed away by the river.
“I rushed back and was surprised to see the bottom part of the house as well as a banana and coconut farm destroyed,” Hassan said, adding that the damage was estimated at around RM20,000.
He said he and other villagers are worried that the riverbank would further erode due to the non-stop rain.
Another villager, Fatimah Mat, 56, said that a similar incident damaged her home and eatery in 2021.
“The area is at a river bend and when it rains heavily, it would cause strong currents,” she said.
Fatimah, who lives with her husband, who had suffered a stroke four years ago, added that she urged quick action to be taken.
Kuau villager head Zahiran Shaari said that the Irrigation and Drainage Department had built a new 150m stone embarkment two years ago at a cost of RM700,000. However, it was not enough to cover the entire area there.