PENDANG: The temporary flood relief centre (PPS) has become a second home for villagers from Kampung Banggol Besi who are used to being amongst the last evacuees to return home due to the banjir termenung (stagnant flood) phenomenon.
Their low-lying village, located at confluence of Sungai Padang Terap and Sungai Pendang, has become somewhat of an "indicator" for the flooding in Pendang district.
Since Sungai Padang Terap still remains metres above the danger level of 3.8m, coupled with scattered rainfall in the evenings, the villagers have accepted the fact that they would have to extend their stay at the PPS longer than three weeks, since the floods first struck on Sept 16.
Norsalawati Sabu @ Bakar, 39, said most villagers have been shifting between the PPS and relatives' homes for the past three weeks.
"We stayed at this PPS for about 12 days before returning home for about a week, although the house's compound was still inundated by floodwaters.
"Then we moved to my brother-in-law's home in Taman Setia as we were worried that the children were playing in the floodwaters.
"We stayed there for three days before returning to this PPS," said the cleaning worker when met at the Tanah Merah Rakan Muda Hall PPS.
Her neighbour Mohamad Rosdi Said, 45, said his home is usually among the final houses to fully recover from the floods.
"Usually, the floodwaters will remain at knee-level at our home, although the other houses are fully recovered from the flood."
According to Rosliza Abdul Razak, 37, about 50 houses in the village are affected by the stagnant floods.
"Some of us were allowed to return home last week but have come back since Monday as our village was flooded again.
"The stagnant flood has been prolonged for two weeks. The floodwaters receded for a while but the flooding was back on Monday, so we decided to move back to this PPS," she said.