PASIR MAS: The Lemal-Lanchang bund, built to tackle flood issue in Rantau Panjang and its surrounding areas, has burst today causing water to overflow to the nearby areas.
Kelantan Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) director Kamal Mustapha however said the exact number of areas or villages that would be affected by the 5.30pm incident has yet to be ascertained.
He said about 20m stretch of the bund has burst as the Lanchang river was unable to contain the excess rain water.
"The Lemal-Lanchang bun was part of the Sungai Golok Flood Mitigation project Phase I. It was aimed at reducing the flood-related problem faced by victims particularly in Rantau Panjang.
"The state DID was informed about the incident around 6pm and immediately deployed a team to check on it.
"We cannot repair the damage bund yet as we have to wait for the water to recede first. I urge the locals, especially those in Tumpat to be on alert on the situation," he said.
He said relevant agencies, both Pasir Mas and Tumpat district officers, have also been alerted on the incident as it was believed the water would flow to Tumpat district located downstream tonight and cause several villages to be flooded.
Kamal said the 20km Lemal-Lanchang bund project began in 2018 and was expected to be completed in 2024.
A 34-second video clip of the incident had gone viral on the social media this evening.
It is also learnt that the overflow of water from Lanchang river would hit villages opposite Kampung Lanchang which includes Kampung Siram, Kampung Bukit Lata and Pohon Tanjung near Jeram Perdah.