COASTAL EROSION ALONG PANTAI DALAM RHU PUTS TRADERS OUT OF BUSINESS

PASIR PUTEH, Nov 29 (Bernama) -- A row of seaside stalls and houses along Pantai Dalam Rhu have been severely damaged by persistent strong waves over the past few days, revealing an increasingly worrying level of coastal erosion over the past few years.

Several casuarina and coconut trees have fallen, crushing stalls and business premises, forcing most traders to cease operations as the structures are no longer safe.

The owner of a fried food stall, 49-year-old Rozita Ab Rahman, said most of her stall, built three years ago at a cost of around RM20,000, is now on the verge of collapse.

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"The stall's kitchen is about to collapse because the waves have washed away the ground underneath, and part of the roof over the dining area was torn off," she told Bernama today.

She added that last week's attempt to curb the erosion using more than 100 sacks of soil was unsuccessful, as they were all washed away. 

"I tried some early defences this year, but half of the dining area collapsed. I haven't been able to trade for over a week," she said, adding that she has no choice but to build a new stall as this business has been her only source of income for the past five years.

Meanwhile, Sheila Ghazi, a 44-year-old single mother who runs a sata bakar stall, said if there are no immediate preventive measures, the entire area could disappear, putting over 30 traders out of business.

"The erosion gets worse every year. Now the beach is just a few metres from the stalls. The customer dining area is completely gone, and the other stalls are also on the verge of collapse," she said.

She added that Pantai Dalam Rhu had become a popular destination in Pasir Puteh after maintenance work a few years ago, but she fears it will fall back into decline if the erosion continues.

In a separate incident, 80-year-old Nik Awang said he could only watch as the house he had lived in since childhood was destroyed in a storm three days ago.

"Part of the wall and roof were torn off that night, and now it's just waiting to fall. Although I received a new house from a petroleum company this year, this old one is full of memories of my late father and mother," said the widower.  

-- BERNAMA