PASIR PUTEH, Feb 28 — The Kemasin Semerak Integrated Agricultural Development Area (IADA) has applied for an allocation of RM10 million from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI) to repair the tidal control gates that have been damaged since 2019 in Kampung Gong Kulim here.

Its director, Rohani Jusoh said seven of the 10 gates in the village were not functioning well, thus resulting in them not being able to drain water from the land area to the South China Sea when there was continuous heavy rain.

“More worryingly like when the high tide phenomenon occurred yesterday which caused water to flow out very slowly through only three gates,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

She said this when asked to comment on the matter following a video clip that went viral claiming that the flood in Pasir Puteh occurred because only three of the 10 tidal control gates were functioning in Kampung Gong Kulim.

Elaborating, Rohani said that if the damaged gates were lifted using machinery, it is feared that there would be far worse damage if they could not prevent seawater from flowing inland if the sea level was higher.

“The tidal control gates were built in 1994 and completed in 1998 at a cost of RM40 million are aimed at reducing the threat of floods often faced by those living in Pasir Puteh, apart from supplying water during droughts,” she said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency