PETALING JAYA: Residents of housing areas in the vicinity of Gunung Jerai in Yan, Kedah and villagers living at its foot have expressed relief after the construction of two sabo dams in Titi Hayun and Merbok were completed last June to halt rivers near the hill from overflowing their banks.
The sabo dams, the first ever constructed in Malaysia, were built for RM22.8 million, and are cross-dike constructed in their upper reaches to prevent sediment-related disasters.
Sabo dams receive debris flows directly to prevent it from going downstream. With a large amount of sediment, the facility would work to fix the foot of a hill to prevent the collapse of the hillside.
On Aug 18, 2021, six people were killed and over 2,000 houses and business premises were damaged after heavy rains caused flash floods leading to a water column plunging from Gunung Jerai.
Recalling the incident, Basyiratunnur Ahmad Nasir, 23, who was a student at the time and lives 2.4km from the dam with five family members, said her parents and grandmother were at home when the flash flood suddenly hit.
“It was late in the evening when it happened after non-stop rain the whole day. That’s why the whole family was at home. At 3pm, I was in an online class and heard a noise outside getting louder. When I looked, water had risen several centremetres to the side of our house.
“The house is on higher ground because of the road next to it, so only a little water entered in, but mud built up around it and was almost knee high.” She said in panic, the family moved their furniture to higher ground and saved most of their kitchen appliances as well.
“It was a frightening experience for all of us. But Alhamdulillah, since the government built the two sabo damns, we can sleep easier each time it rains heavily, and my grandmother is not as fearful either.”
Data entry officer Siti Hajar Idrus, 26, who had joined a three-day volunteer programme to help clean up the homes of flood victims, said most of the damage was to the furniture, doors and electrical appliances.
“Most of the damage was caused by mud which was at least three feet high. There were so many washing machines, rice cookers, mattresses and gas stoves that were damaged, forcing the families to buy new or second-hand replacements.
“The impact of the flash floods on the victims was terrible. It took a long time for volunteers to clean up the houses and remove the thick mud that layered the floors of their houses. We had to use water jets to cut through the mud and remove it.”
“Many of the victims treated the volunteers like family. Together, we separated household belongings that could be salvaged and those that had to be discarded. Then, we proceeded to wash all the items, including the cups, glasses and dishes.”
Siti Hajar said like the other residents, she is thankful that the dams have been built so that they will never have to relive the nightmare of another flash flood or the financial losses that the victims had to endure.
Still, she said the memory of the disaster will always be a reminder to prepare for any eventuality. “It’s important to always have cash to replace lost items. This is one lesson we have all learned from our experience.”
