The cascading geological processes seem to be to accountable for baling floods.
According to Datuk Rosli Isa, secretary-general of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (KetSA), the recent floods in Baling, Kedah, were mostly caused by cascading geological phenomena, including severe rain, landslides, debris flows, floods, and mudflows.
This, he claimed, was one of the conclusions made in the Sungai Kupang Debris Flood Geological Disaster Study Report by a special committee assembled to look into the tragic Baling flood incident and headed by KeTSA.
According to the study, severe rains caused simultaneous landslides to form in the mountainous terrain of weathered granite, according to Rosli.
After the intense rains, debris flows, debris floods, and mud floods developed. Since land use has been changed to forest plantation, erosion has grown in places that are hilly and secondary forests as a result. This has led to siltation, which has caused the river to become shallow.
He claimed that when the bridge at Kampung Iboi, Baling, which served as the “temporary dam” when the debris floods occurred, fell, the flood situation grew worse.
Sand and wood debris have accumulated as a result, creating a tremendous impact force that has caused property damage and loss of life.
The debris floods changed into mud floods, which harmed the property and settlements in downstream areas, when the sand and wood debris became stranded.
Rosli stated that several short-term and long-term plans have been created in this regard to guarantee that the chain of geological phenomena, particularly in Baling, can be regulated.
The National Geological Disaster Research Centre will be established, warning systems will be installed, and extensive mapping of geological and debris disasters will be done, among other things.
On July 4, a total of 41 places were impacted by the floods in Baling. Three people lost their lives in the floods, including a pregnant 23-year-old.
