Proposal to use SMS for early warning of floods

However, DID Water Resources and Hydrology Division principal assistant director, Sazali Osman, said a detailed study and analysis had to be carried out first before the system was introduced.

He said the SMS was part of the department's plans to upgrade the early flood warning system after it was developed in 2006 and was effective for the people living in the TTDI Jaya area in Shah Alam.

"The flood SMS system in TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam, functions automatically and will give early warning of the possibility of floods, based on the amount of rainfall recorded in the upstream part of Sungai Damansara besides taking into account the water level in the river.

"If heavy rain observed at the rain station exceeds the set level, a flood early warning will be sent through the SMS to the residents in the area. If the water level exceeds the alert and danger levels, the flood SMS would again be sent to the public," he told Bernama.

Sazali said the DID planned to end the service as flash floods in the area had lessened after several flood mitigation projects were implemented in Sungai Damansara.

At the same time, the department was also planning to upgrade the flood early warning system especially in the east coast states by increasing the number of monitoring and early flood warning stations such as water level stations, rain stations and siren stations.

"The data collected will be used to provide early flood information to the public and also used as a database to develop new flood prediction models.

"The presence of flood prediction models in the major rivers in the east coast will increase the effectiveness of early flood warning delivery to the public, rescue agencies and government as well as private agencies," he said.