The high tide phenomenon, which is likely to occur this month and in November, is expected to cause damages to more than 200 hectares of rice fields along the coast of Kuala Perlis, Kuala Sungai Baru and Kuala Sungai Padang.

State Housing and Local Government Committee chairperson at Hassan said embankments built along the 20km stretch from Kuala Perlis to Kuala Sungai Padang could not withstand the big waves caused by the high tide.

According to the Meteorological Department the high tide phenomenon is forecasted to take place from Oct 17 to 20 and from Nov 14 to 17.

“The flood due to high tide is very likely to submerge young rice seedlings that were planted only on Sept 28,” Mat, who is also Kuala Perlis state assemblyperson, told Bernama in Kuala Perlis today.

Mat said the phenomenon that struck previously caused damages to the rice ields and incurred a loss of hundreds of thousands of ringgit to the farmers.

He hoped the government could provide a special allocation to raise the embankments along the coast as a mitigation measure.

- Bernama