TELUK BATIK BEACH ERODED BY TWO-METRE WAVES, WATER ACTIVITIES BANNED

LUMUT, Nov 26 (Bernama) - - A rare phenomenon of two-metre waves pounding the Teluk Batik shoreline has caused severe erosion over the past three days.

A survey by Bernama at the location found that roughly 200 metres of coastline have been eroded, destroying coconut and ketapang trees, and causing the beach level to drop significantly.

Teluk Batik Management and Tourism Unit supervisor at the Manjung Municipal Council (MPM), Mazzua Amran, said the erosion was also compounded by high tides and continuous heavy rain over 24 hours from Sunday to Monday.

"Yesterday evening, a team from MPM, led by the president (Muhammad Faizal Shah Safian Suri) himself, visited the site around 5.30 pm," he told Bernama today.

 The MPM and Malaysian Civil Defence Force have raised red flags around the area and banned all water activities, effective from yesterday.

Mazzua said the prohibition on swimming, fishing, and picnicking will remain in effect until further notice.

"We will also conduct regular monitoring every two hours, and make another assessment this afternoon.

"Depending on the weather forecast from the Malaysian Meteorological Department and the actual conditions we observe, we may reopen the area for activities later this week if conditions improve," he said.

"The erosion is visible from the end of the campsite area to the central plain section. While the central area remains unaffected due to its gentle slope, the far end has experienced significant erosion, with up to 20 metres of land lost from the bank to the water's edge," he explained.

-- BERNAMA