Sleepless nights for Ranau villagers
Published on: Monday, January 16, 2023
By: Clarence Dol
The ill-fated bamboo and coconut tree crossing being swept away by the raging Tahukag River.
RANAU: The high possibility of landslides is now giving restless nights to residents of Kg Tungou, located about 15km from the township, here.The landslide that is currently gradually happening may also cause the main route (road) between Ranau-Tambunan to be cut off just like the one that happened along the Ranau-Sandakan road recently.
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Residents are appealing to the Public Works Department (JKR) to monitor and take immediate remedial action against landslides that threaten the safety of residential buildings, property and lives of residents.
Near the landslide there is also a concrete bus stop and next to it, facilities for villagers to exhibit and sell their agricultural products.
Ranau JKR District Engineer, Alvonna Farhanah Jammy said, temporary repair work will be implemented immediately by the department to reduce the erosion of the slope.
One of the landslide area that worry residents of Kg Tungou.
Meanwhile, Ranau Fire and Rescue Department Chief, Ridwan Mohad Taib said the agency had sent a unit to make an inspection around the area concerned and several measures will be taken.
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“It was found that there is erosion on the hillside, which needs to be curbed early, so that it does not spread to the road area. There is one stall near the affected spot.
“We hope the villagers here will continue to be on the look out for any risk or possibilities which could occur, and be ready to evacuate whenever the situation worsens,” he said.
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Meanwhile, the plight of villagers in Kg Mohimboyon and Kg Lipantai were highlighted recently when they took matters into their own hands to erect a makeshift bamboo crossing across the Tahukag River.
The risky and unsafe crossing managed to give the opportunity for some villagers to cross over to the other side and carry on with their business.
However, heavy rain uphill which fell again late Sunday afternoon had resulted in the Tahukg River to flow rapidly and the rising water level had swept away the bamboo and coconut tree crossing constructed by the villages and army personnel.
Heavy rain continues to fall in the district on Monday, making all the recovery work on the areas concerned extremely hard and the people are getting helpless day by day.
It was learnt that the cry of villagers, teachers and students here have been heard by the government and a suspension bridge is in the pipeline to replace the concrete bridge that was initially there before it was destroyed in the flood.
On Monday, the presence of army personnel at the location of the fallen bridge brings new hope for the villagers here, as they were told that the unit would be helping them to build a more sturdy suspension bridge at the site.
Following the destruction of the original concrete bridge, residents in the two villages risk their own safety to erect a makeshift bamboo crossing following the collapse of a bridge linking both villages.
The previous concrete bridge was swept away after being hit by the raging Tahukag River waters which overflowed due to continuous heavy rain.
Media observation in the village situated about 12km from Ranau town shows that men and women of all ages brave themselves to build the crossing. It was built across the widened river which experienced embankment failure after being hit by two episodes of rapids within several days into the new year.
Once the construction was completed, people young and old carefully navigated the narrow passage across, under the watchful eyes of other villagers who were ready to act in case of any mishap.
Meanwhile, the head of the Ranau Fire and Rescue Department, Ridwan Mohd Taib, views the activity of walking over the instant bamboo bridge as something that endangers the lives of the public.
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