KASA told to improve flood warning system - NADMA

KUALA LUMPUR: The Environment and Water Ministry (KASA) has been asked to improve the flood warning system by ensuring that the warning sound is at a higher volume and different from that of other sirens, according to the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA).

In a statement today, it said this was among the important decisions taken at the Post-Northeast Monsoon Flood Disaster Management Task Force (MTL) special meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday.

It said post-disaster initiatives included KASA's action to monitor bunds which were not properly maintained to overcome the problem of floods which frequently occurred in several areas.

"For states which have entered the post-disaster phase, the state and district Disaster Command Centres (PKOB) are asked to hold discussions with the district Drainage and Irrigation Department (JPS) to conduct assessment on affected areas," the statement said.

NADMA said the prime minister also directed that the distribution process of Bantuan Wang Ihsan (BWI) be simplified and all menteris besar or chief ministers should ensure that every district office facilitated the distribution of the aid through several methods.

As at 5 pm today, the number of flood victims at relief centres (PPS) in Pahang, Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka has dropped while the number in Terengganu, Sabah and Selangor was unchanged.

According to NADMA, flood operations throughout the country now involved 17,223 personnel of responder agencies using 3,251 combined assets of various agencies while the Social Welfare Department (JKM) had distributed 544,064 food packs which were provided three times a day together with other essentials to flood victims.

It said state and district PKOB were required to inform the national PKOB of any landslide incidents which affect settlements and require immediate evacuation and coordination by the authorities.

"As at 10 am, Jan 4, 2022, the Minerals and Geoscience Department (JMG) has reported 245 incidents of landslides throughout the country, an increase of two locations (Negeri Sembilan 1, Selangor 1) while the Public Works Department (JKR) has reported 61 incidents of slope and road collapse detected throughout MTL 2021/2022," it said.

NADMA also said that as at 10 am today, 1,020 or 97 per cent of the 1,048 units of damaged communication infrastructure had been repaired while the remaining 28 were still in the restoration process.

-- BERNAMA