Kuala Terengganu: The floods currently affecting Pahang are expected to last between one and two weeks, following the overflow of the Pahang River which exceeds normal levels.

Deputy Chief Commissioner for Operations of the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) Norhafifi Ismail said that the stagnant water may also be slow to recede because the rain is still continuing in the area.

He said this expectation was made following aerial monitoring which found that the water in the Pahang River was still at dangerous levels.

"Usually, when there is a flood, the water will enter the river and sea before receding, but the situation in Pahang is a little different because the Pahang River itself is still overflowing.

"That's what is called a lingering flood because as long as the water in the Pahang River does not recede, the water in the flooded areas will not recede unless it is absorbed slowly or there are other channels."

"So we hope that the rain stops or subsides like this week so that it does not contribute to the increase in water in the river, to allow the river level to return to normal," he said when met in conjunction with the Official Post-Flood Working Visit to Terengganu here, today.

Also accompanying him was the Director of APM Terengganu, Lieutenant Colonel (PA) Che Adam A Rahman.

Meanwhile, Norhafifi said that post-disaster activities with the assistance of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in several areas in Pahang and Terengganu have been carried out.

"Our hope is that when the river water level recedes, the water that overflows (stagnant) into residential areas will flow into the river and sea so that we can carry out post-flood work immediately."

"The focus of the cleaning will involve public facilities such as schools, community centers and mosques with a target of at least 20

cleaning at any one time at each location," he said.

Source:- Metro Daily Online