SEGAMAT, Jan 9 — Johor authorities are monitoring closely the water levels of Sungai Muar Buloh Kasap, despite the river recording a slight decrease in water levels here this morning.

As at 8am today, the river showed a reading of 8.88m, down from 8.91m yesterday afternoon.

Despite the drop in river water level, Johor Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the current level is still above the warning mark.

"The various agencies in the district, under the state’s disaster management committee, will continue to monitor the water level situation.

"At present the weather is cloudy and the Meteorology Department will advise on any forecasted bad weather,” he said today.

For Sungai Muar Buloh Kasap, river water levels of 8.54m and above are considered warning, while water levels of 9.14m and above are categorised as danger.

In Segamat, 17 people from six families were evacuated from their homes yesterday.

Ayub said the number of evacuees did not increase as they are from two temporary flood evacuation centres at Kampung Balai Badang and Kampung Kuala Paya.

He said the temporary flood evacuation centres at SK Balai Badang registered a total of 10 people from four families and Sekolah Agama Kampung Kuala Paya has seven people from two families.