Choked rivers delay water from receding

GEORGE TOWN: The amount of debris and rubbish in streams, rivers and drainage systems has slowed the water from receding quickly and is delaying the return of many to their homes, a state official said.
Penang Flood Operations director Datuk Seri Farizan Darus said they were monitoring the situation and looking at ways to help the affected move back quickly to their homes.
"The authorities are checking the flow every two hours and the data coming back is that the waters are receding at a slow pace due to the blockage by debris and rubbish in the rivers," said Farizan.
He said they have asked the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) to find ways to help pump the waters out of the affected areas faster.
A DID spokesperson said its engineers are working to strengthen the embankment at Sungai Muda, the main water artery for southern Kedah and most parts of Penang's mainland.
The embankment is being secured further in view of the bad weather forecast from the Meteorological Department.
As the weather was stable, the number of people who remained at the 23 flood relief centres was reduced to 2,293 as of 5pm today, according to the data from the National Disaster Coordination Agency's portal.
The number has gone down by some 70% since almost 10,000 were evacuated on Sunday in the worst-ever floods to hit Penang.
Most of those affected were confined to the districts near Bukit Mertajam and Bertam.
On the island, life has returned to almost normal except for several low-lying villages in Air Itam, Batu Ferringhi and Sungai Pinang where residents are struggling to clean up the huge amount of mud and replace damaged furniture and household items.
A number of famous street hawkers selling "hokkien mee" and "nasi kandar" have started to report brisk business.
Factories are operating as usual at the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone.
Non-governmental organisations have also begun to mobilise their resources to help those in need while military personnel continue to assist residents and volunteers in the cleanup.
According to Penang Tourism Committee chairman Danny Law Heng Kiang, he is optimistic of the tourists gradually returning although some have postponed their visits.