After decades of floods, Belimbing Dalam residents pin hopes on RM600mil project

Floodwaters inundate Zakaria Naim’s home four to five times a year, but financial constraints have left him with little choice but to remain in Kampung Belimbing Dalam.

Zakaria, 66, who has lived in the village since birth, said the situation was even worse 20 years ago, when his home was flooded nearly 16 times.

“The floods are almost like a festival. There’s nothing much we can do. The priority is to look after our families first. Our belongings come second. We have to get our families to safety.

“I’m not well-off. Moving requires money, so we just have to endure it,” he told FMT.

Zakaria said floodwaters have on occasion risen above the one-metre mark, damaging furniture and electrical appliances.

He recalled an incident in 2011 when floodwaters rose too quickly, leaving him without enough time to move his refrigerator, and forcing him to spend about RM800 on a replacement.

That same year, Zakaria lost 25 goats to bloating, which he attributed to the cold weather. He also spoke of how he spent one flood-stricken night in his lorry to safeguard his belongings.

Zakaria now uses wooden planks and raised platforms to protect his possessions from rising floodwaters.

“We don’t dare buy too many things because we’re afraid another flood will come,” he said, adding that he also worries about the safety of his five children whenever disaster strikes.

Cleaning up after a flood can take several days, as his home is often filled with dirty water and mud. The foul smell can linger for nearly a month, disrupting operations at his food stall.

“As long as the smell makes us uncomfortable, we won’t reopen the stall,” he said.

However, Zakaria said flooding in the village appears to have become less frequent in recent years following upgrading works at the Krubong–Durian Tunggal flood mitigation pond.

Protecting residents

The RM603.7 million dual-purpose pond project, aimed at improving protection for communities in flood-prone areas, began in August 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2030.

The project, undertaken by the irrigation and drainage department (DID), combines flood mitigation with raw water storage to support the state’s water supply needs.

The pond is designed to hold excess water during heavy rainfall before releasing it into the Durian Tunggal dam.

Its scope includes excavation and upgrading works, the construction of water-control structures, river improvements, and the installation of water inlet and outlet channels to better regulate water flow.

It is one of eight flood mitigation projects in Melaka, worth a combined RM1.46 billion, approved by the federal government for the 2021-2026 period.

The others are the Alor Gajah Phase 1, Bandar Jasin, Bandar Merlimau, Sungai Putat and Sungai Duyong flood mitigation projects, while the Sungai Melaka Phase 1 and Sungai Baru projects in Alor Gajah remain at the pre-implementation stage.

For Zakaria, the improvements already experienced by residents have brought a measure of relief after years of living with floods.

“We are grateful. The government has taken notice of our situation. Villagers have repeatedly raised this problem, and now the government has started taking action to help the people of Belimbing Dalam,” he said.

Another resident, Siti Hawiah Marsum, 64, expressed similar hopes, saying the prospect of another major flood would leave her anxious about her family’s safety.

Her concerns are compounded by her husband’s condition following a mild stroke, while their 30-year-old child, who is a person with disabilities, also depends on their care.

Having lived in the village for six years, Siti Hawiah expressed relief that the almost yearly flood has become less frequent.

“Before I moved here, floods were very common. I think there was flooding every year. But now, we haven’t had any floods, thank God,” she said.

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