State, district disaster management committees to coordinate post-flood activities - NADMA

SHAH ALAM: Disaster Management Committees at state and district levels have been instructed to coordinate post-flood activities in the flood-affected areas, National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) director-general Datuk Dr Aminuddin Hassim said.

He said the coordination of post-flood activities will include discussions with all other federal agencies as floods begin to recede in several states and districts.

"The central disaster management committee has issued instructions to all committees to do so.

"The mobilisation of government assets with the involvement of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and volunteers should also focus on the assessment of flood victims' post-disaster needs," he said in the daily media conference for Ops Murni here today.

He said other post-flood actions that needed to be implemented included assisting the cleaning of homes, public places and schools used as temporary relief centres and the restoration of essential services.

Aminuddin added that disaster management committees in Johor, Sabah and Sarawak have been instructed to be on alert after the Meteorological Department issued a continuous heavy rain warning and to take preventive measures by opening flood operations control centres by today (Dec 25).

"(First) responder agencies also need to be prepared for any operation, including in terms of the opening of on-site control posts, relief centres and coordinating assistance from NGOs," he said.

He said each state control centre had also been instructed to submit reports for areas still experiencing floods and those where floods have receded as well as to inform the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) of any need for to use pumps in water removal operations in stagnant flood areas.

"NADMA has and is coordinating all necessary logistical assistance, including transferring the DID pump unit from Ipoh to Taman Sri Muda and Mentakab.

"The central operations centre was also informed by the operations centre in Terengganu that the state had entered the post-flood phase completely on Dec 21," he added.

The Terengganu Civil Defence Force will send a team to help Pahang prepare for the possibility of floods in the state following the forecast of a monsoonal surge beginning Dec 27.

Aminuddin also reminded everyone on the ground to take measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

"For those affected by the flood disaster can call the MyGCC line 03-80008000, apart from the National Disaster Control Centre (NDCC) line 03-8064-2400. The latest disaster information is also available on social media," he said.

-- BERNAMA