Sg Pahang dries up, exposing path to river island
KUALA LUMPUR: The dried-up riverbed of Sungai Pahang has allowed villagers to walk or ride motorcycles to an island in the middle of the river, which is covered with trees and was previously accessible only by boat.
In Pahang, the Sungai Pahang riverbed has dried up, enabling villagers to access an island in the middle of the river by walking or riding motorcycles. The island, previously reachable only by boat, is now home to trees and is accessible by foot or motorcycle. Villagers have been using the dry riverbed to transport water buffaloes to the island, where they graze on grass.
Mohd Azman Ismail, a 54-year-old villager, described this year's heatwave as one of the worst in recent memory, with the river rapidly drying up. The heat has been significantly more intense compared to previous years, and the river began drying up in April. The situation has worsened this month, and it is expected to remain the same until the rainy season ends at the end of the year. Azman noted that it last rained about two months ago.
In recent years, it has become common for the river to dry up during the hot season, but this year, more sections of the river have dried up, stretching several kilometers. Villagers have been forced to sell their ikan patin (silver catfish) due to the shallow water, which has left them unable to resume their business. The section of the river deeper due to sand dredging activities has not dried up.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department has reported that the country could face hotter days and longer dry spells than usual as El Nino strengthens.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
