Military and Fire Dept to deploy tankers to drought areas in Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: The military and Fire and Rescue Services Department will be roped in to help distribute water to drought-stricken areas in Sabah if necessary.

Sabah Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid said both sides were represented at the disaster management committee.

“We can seek their help to deploy their tankers to the affected areas,” she said.

Jainab said the state had sought such assistance in the past.

She said the military and Fire Department tankers were deployed to send water to Ranau, Kundasang and Kota Belud in the aftermath of the earthquake which occurred on June 5 last year.

“The committee is keeping a close watch on the drought situation in Sabah.

“We need the public to help inform us of the situation in their areas,” she added.

UKM climatologist Dr Fredolin Tangang said an El Nino-induced drought as severe as the one in 1997-1998 will hit Sabah and northern Sarawak over the next three months.

He said the forecast of the APEC Climate Centre in Busan indicated a more than 80% likelihood of below normal rainfall over the region between now and April.

He said reports of rivers running dry in northern Sarawak was also an indication that the drought had set in.