BAGAN SERAI: The flood which hit Kampung Matang Tengah, Changkat Lobak in Alor Pongsu here yesterday was due to the collapse of a 6-metre-high water irrigation canal (bund).
Following this incident, a temporary relief centre was opened at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Changkat Lobak here at 5pm.
To date, 27 families including a seven-month-old baby boy are seeking shelter there.
Alor Pongsu assemblyman Noor Azman Ghazali said that the irrigation canal project was managed by the Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID) and was expected to be fully completed before November.
"However, the construction work faced some problems, resulting in an inundation of river water into Kampung Matang Tengah.
"This village is located in a low-lying area. So the overflowing water entered the villagers' houses," he said when met yesterday.
He said following the incident, the state DID technical department is expected to repair the damage immediately and should it not be done, a "big flood" could occur like in 2002.
He added that the deterioration of the inundation situation was also caused by the unpredictability of the weather these days, such as heavy rainfall.
Checks at the scene found that the road connecting Alor Pongsu to Selama has been flooded since yesterday afternoon and the overflowing water level is expected to increase over time.
Meanwhile, Nurul Syuhada Shahidan, 21, said her husband, Najmirul Aiman Norazam, also 21, and their 7-month-old son Ayyash Afi Abdul Hafiz had to evacuate after their house was inundated by floods at 3pm.
Nur Syuhada said that this was the first flood incident of the year and that her family had frequently been displaced to the temporary shelter since she was a minor.
