KOTA KINABALU: The floods and landslides which claimed the lives of seven members of a family in Kampung Cenderakasih more than a week ago have left a deep impact on the people in Inanam here.
The calamity recorded one of the worst natural disasters ever to hit the West Coast, where it affected the lives of more than 100 families in the district.
Of that figure, the lives of 17 families changed dramatically by the landslides. While Cenderakasih witnessed a tragedy, the hill behind the Country Heights apartment slipped and caused a huge landslide.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who came and visited Country Heights last week, has given his pledge to assist the victims and said that the landslide debris there must be cleared fast so as to enable the victims to move forward.
Inanam Party Warisan Chief Lewis Wong said the party was deeply saddened over what had befallen the victims and that they were pooling all resources to provide assistance to the victims.
“Immediately after the calamity, we mobilised teams to the disaster-stricken areas by sending food, water and items such as mattresses and pillows to the temporary shelters (PSS).
“We hope and pray that those affected by the disaster will be patient and steadfast in facing this ordeal,” he said.
Following the situation, Lewis came up with several proposals to reduce flooding and landslide problems in Inanam, as well as fast and immediate actions to be taken if such a disaster occurs again.
He opined that an integrated approach is needed for the short, medium and long term to tackle the flood and landslide.
In the short term, he suggested the authorities and community carry out cleanupand monitoring of the situation, while in the medium term, they carry out construction of infrastructure and implement regulations, and in the long term, they carry out ecological restoration and prevention measures.
“With close cooperation between the government and the community, Inanam’s resilience to disasters caused by the weather can be improved,” he said while adding that the Inanam River and its main tributaries must be cleared of debris and excess soil so as to ensure smooth water flow.
He said that local authorities, in particular Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) and the Public Works Department (JKR), must carry out an immediate clean-up of the drains and water channels within Inanam township and main residential areas.
“As for the community, we will be organising gotong-royong activities with the residents as a shared responsibility for making sure the drains around their homes and neighbourhoods are clear of debris.
“We cannot just expect the government to do the cleaning work. The residents have a responsibility to clean their own areas so as to reduce the impact should another disaster occur,” he said.
Another approach, he said, is to install chronic flood points.
On this, he said the government should install benchmarks and warning boards, especially in locations that were often hit by the flood.
Meanwhile, he said the medium-term planning on engineering measures can be applied by increasing the capacity of the Inanam River.
“This is done by adjusting and straightening the narrow and winding sections of the river.
“The authorities must strengthen fragile riverbanks with environmentally friendly materials and upgrade urban drainage infrastructure and pumping stations in low-lying areas,” he said.
According to him, it is time for Sabah to implement the “sponge city” concept, where a material can be penetrated by water and catchment areas are designed in new developments in a city.
“Every village and residential area must know the location of evacuation centres and rescue routes. “This is to facilitate and speed up logistics management,” he said.
As to preparation for an impending landslide, Lewis said the authorities need to identify, monitor and give immediate warnings if there is a situation seen for a potential disaster.
“What happened in Kg Cenderakasih should be an eye-opener for all parties. The government must conduct inspections on slopes that show a high risk of collapse,” he said.
He specifically highlighted government agencies, namely Sabah Minerals and the Geosciences Department (JMG), to inspect risky areas such as residential areas on slopes and along main roads.
“If those areas are found to be at risk, residents at the premises should be instructed to move away from the area. I think this has been carried out, but some residents simply refuse to adhere to the authorities’ warnings in some cases and only move away after the disaster has occurred.
“For the community, we are looking at training volunteers to recognise landslide warning signs by setting up monitoring points, namely crack detection tape. This will help them to detect the sign and avoid being buried in landslides.
“I suggest that we activate engineering treatment and ecological restoration, strengthen safety on dangerous slopes and build retaining walls, drainage ditches and other engineering measures on slopes that threaten life and property.
“For ecological restoration, we must stop illegal exploration and logging on steep slopes. We should start replanting deep-rooted trees to stabilise the slopes,” said Lewis, adding that enforcing land-use planning is also necessary.
In this regard, he said, DBKK must also strictly regulate development on slope areas.
As for actions during the disaster period, he said the principle of “Heavy Rain, Move Early” must be applied.
He said everybody should be aware of the evacuation stages.
“But most important in all these plans, public involvement is really necessary.
He said the Inanam Disaster Management Committee must be established with the involvement of community leaders, government agencies and NGOs.
“Perhaps everyone needs to undergo annual disaster drills to train the public on emergency procedures,” he said.
