MARAN: The prolonged hot weather has resulted in certain sections of Sungai Pahang in Kampung Pesagi, Chenor near here to completely dry up, leaving the river bed exposed.
The significant drop in the river's water level at the traditional village has affected the caged fish industry as breeders are forced to sell the ikan patin (silver catfish) in bulks, or risk leaving the fish stranded in the shallow riverbed.
A check by the New Straits Times at Kampung Pesagi found one section of the river has completely dried up and villagers could walk up to an island, which is covered with trees and located in the middle of the river.
However, water on the other side of the island (another channel of the river) is still free-flowing despite the ongoing heatwave,
Kampung Pesagi village headman Abd Rahim Yaakob, 70, described the exposed Sungai Pahang riverbed in the village as nothing unusual as they have been facing similar situations over the years.
"However, this year the heat has been extraordinary compared to previous years and we are not sure how long this is going to occur. The dry weather began in April this year but the situation worsened over the past two weeks and now a 3km stretch of the riverbed is exposed.
"Caged fish farmers operating in the upstream of Kampung Sanding till Kuala Wau near here have been forced to sell their fish at a wholesale price while many have emptied their cages and relocated them to the riverbank," he said when met.
Meanwhile, Abd Rahim said people have to understand that Sungai Pahang in the village is not completely dried up but only one section of the river is affected.
"The river channel facing Kampung Pesagi has dried up. Water is still deep in the other section (other side of the island) and villagers still use the boats....only that the water is shallow in certain spots.
"Although it rained heavily in the village about two weeks ago, the riverbed remained dry. Only continued heavy downpour upstream might help the river water level rise again," he said, adding the village was badly affected during the floods in 2021.
Meanwhile, villager Juhari Abdul Rahman, 60, said during the previous years, cage fish operators could still operate as usual and were not required to sell their fish in a rush.
"This year, the sections along the riverbank have become dry and some are extremely shallow so the farmers have no choice. Rather than suffering losses, they decided to sell the fish.
"The river's water level had gradually dropped over the past few months....previously there were sandbars in the river with certain sections covered with water but now only the riverbed is left
exposed. Children can cycle or even play in the sand," he said.
Meanwhile, Setafar Chek, 64, said the river was drying up drastically due to the hot spell.
"The weather appears to be extreme this year. I am not sure if the river has become shallow prompting it to dry up fast due to the hot weather.....I realised the landscape of the sand and sediment in the river will change after the flood season when the river water will overflow its banks," he said.
Meanwhile, Chenor assemblyman Mujibur Rahman Ishak described the situation as worrying and the livelihood of the villagers who were involved in fish farming activities were affected.
"The river near Kampung Pesagi is almost completely dry while on the other side (opposite), the river channel at Kampung Paya Pasir is still flowing downstream of Sungai Pahang.
"Short and long term measures have to be identified to minimise the impact especially for villagers who rely on the river as a source of income," he wrote on Facebook after visiting the village.