A downpour hit 40-door Rumah Bundong Tajok at Nanga Sebabai in Sungai Kapit, about 11km from Kapit Bazaar, the whole evening on Thursday, but it was nothing out of the ordinary.

But at about 3am the next day, longhouse resident Bangkong Selegi suddenly woke up to find his room –Bilik 3 – flooded, no thanks to overflowing water from the storm drain behind the longhouse.

He quickly reached for a torch light, woke up his family, and then tried to block a section of the storm drain, hoping it would drain water from his room.

“Suddenly, I heard a sound coming from the hill slope right behind Bundong’s kitchen,” he told Bukit Goram assemblyman Jefferson Jamit Unyat when the latter came a calling yesterday to offer assistance.

“And before I know it, a landslide happened. Mud came crushing down on Tuai Rumah Bundong’s kitchen. I immediately alerted Bundong.”

Fortunately, no further damaged was inflicted on the longhouse, and no one was hurt in the incident.

On Saturday, Bundong lodged a report at Kapit District Office. Following the report, personnel from the Kapit Resident Office, Public Works Department (PWD), Kapit District Office and Kapit Social Welfare Department went to investigate.

PWD then covered the exposed slope with a big plastic sheet as a temporary measure to prevent further soil movements.

Jamit said for the short term, he would allocate some money from his minor rural project (MRP) fund to repair the damage.

He suggested the longhouse’s village security and development committee (JKKK) carry out a ’gotong royong’ to clear the drains and soil from the affected kitchen.

For the long term, he said he would lobby for some money from the Rural Transformation Program (RTP) to address the root of the problem.

In the meantime, Jamit advised those who lives on or near hill slopes to be vigilant due to the unpredictable weather patterns.

“Prevention is always better than cure. Be prepared for any eventuality, like landslides or flash floods due to excessive rainfall.”

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by James Ling

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