KANGAR: The RM260 million Timah Tasoh West Flood Diversion, which was supposed to solve floods in Tebing Tinggi area here, turned out to be the reason for a massive flood, forcing over 1,000 people to seek shelter at relief centres.
The project, which was scheduled to be completed in the middle of this year, has suffered a delay and the new deadline has been pushed to November.
Residents were left fuming as the final part of the 22 kilometer canal, which links a water tunnel from Tebing Tinggi to Bukit Wai, became the reason for the worst flood in recent years.
The canal is supposed to channel running water from Timah Tasoh Dam directly to the Straits of Malacca near Kuala Perlis river mouth.
The continuous rainfall over the past two days left some areas, which have never been flooded before, to be submerged up to 1.5-metre deep.
As at noon today, 1,008 people from 277 families, mostly from Tebing Tinggi, were forced to seek shelter at the flood relief centres.
Kangar member of Parliament Ir Shaharuddin Ismail said the project delay had left the area exposed to flood disaster every time there was a heavy downpour.
He said this had not happened before the project started.
"I am urging the state government, the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) and the contractor concerned to expedite the project. If the contractor is unable to complete the project, might as well just terminate the contractor," he told reporters after visiting the site today.
Meanwhile, Tebing Tinggi residents who were taking refuge at SK Bintong, appealed to the relevant authorities to complete the project as soon as possible.
Mahidah Ismail, 40, said her house had never been flooded even during continuous rainfall like over the past two days.
"Since the project started my house has been hit by flash floods. The water used to reach up to knee-level but now it has reached waist-level," she said.
Her neighbour Norhidah Mohmad, 56, said she could no longer stand the hassle of having to abandon her home every time there was heavy rain and having to clean up the house several times.
The flood had also forced a trunk road linking Wang Ulu to Kuala Perlis to be closed to traffic while a petrol station in Arau has to suspend its operation.
It was reported that the project, which had been completed 80 per cent, was suffering a delay following a technical problem at Bukit Wai as the contractor was having difficulties in building a tunnel.