Ready to respond

MANY Selangor residents are still fearful after the devastating floods last December that caused several deaths and the destruction of property worth millions of ringgit.

Authorities received an outpouring of criticism from the public who were upset by the delayed response during the crisis.

Determined not to have a repeat of last year’s chaos, the relevant agencies have stepped up their preparations ahead of the upcoming monsoon season.

They are beefing up manpower and other resources to ensure speedy rescue and proper evacuation in the event of severe flooding.

Anticipating the north-east monsoon and possible heavier-than-usual rainfall, the Environment and Water Ministry has given its assurance that resources are in place.

Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Zaini Ujang said this included ensuring key assets were functioning effectively.

“We have made sure that water pumps are operational, with available portable pumps that can be quickly mobilised to areas where necessary.

“Our contractors will also be on the ground at flood hotspots, with heavy machinery, so that mitigation measures can be done on the spot without waiting for floodwaters to recede.

“For example, our personnel were able to reach within minutes after a bund collapsed at one of the rivers in Selangor recently,” he told StarMetro.

On Oct 6, a bund collapsed along Sungai Tengi and led to floods in the Tanjung Karang town.

Zaini said the ministry had spent some RM200mil over the past year to upgrade its warning systems and secure relevant assets, among other measures.

“Some 400 warning sirens have been placed at high-risk locations around the country, with more slated to be installed.

“There are two kinds of sirens; one which warns that the river water is at a dangerous level while the other is to alert people to evacuate,” he explained, adding that the sirens could be heard from a 1km radius.

Zaini urged communities living near rivers to be vigilant and refer to the Public Infobanjir website to obtain information on river water-level status and rainfall intensity.

Fire and Rescue Department personnel carrying a man out from his house in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam, during the floods last year. — Filepic

Local authorities geared up

Klang district officer Shahman Jalaluddin said 188 evacuation centres had been prepared by the Welfare Department (JKM) to house flood victims.

“We are working closely with village chiefs and local councillors to monitor the situation on the ground.

“If they deem there is a need for an evacuation centre, we will activate the venue immediately,” he said.

Shahman noted that several temporary relief centres had been designated in Klang to house food and bedding supplies for flood victims.

He said most of the items were stored in JKM’s Sungai Buloh facility last year, which led to difficulties in transporting them to the flood-stricken areas.

“This year, we have moved some 2,000 tents and bedding items to locations in Klang, ready to be distributed if needed,” he added.

Klang district spans 62.7ha, covering the Klang municipality and part of Shah Alam, housing some one million residents.

Last December, Taman Sri Muda in Shah Alam was among the worst-hit housing areas in Selangor, which saw hundreds, if not thousands, of families displaced.

Hulu Langat district officer Dr Ani Ahmad said inter-agency training was held in September to simulate response in the event of flooding.

“The programme’s aim was to improve communication between the agencies that are involved in disaster management,” she said.

She noted that 61 evacuation centres had been designated in the district, and these included schools and community halls.

“We have asked school principals and village chiefs to ensure all the facilities such as toilets and electrical appliances are in good condition.

“We have also opened a relief centre in Kampung Sungai Serai to store dry food, bedding items and wheelchairs,” she said.

Ani added that the land office also received regular updates from the penghulu on the water level at rivers in Hulu Langat.

(The penghulu here is a civil servant under the land office at the sub-district level. The village chiefs report to the penghulu).

Hulu Langat district spans 82.9ha, covering seven sub-districts namely Hulu Langat, Hulu Semenyih, Kajang, Semenyih, Cheras, Beranang and Ampang.

Last year, some 1,000 homes in Taman Sri Nanding, a low-cost housing estate in the district, were submerged after a downpour on Saturday evening.

Some 12km away in Sungai Lui, the flood destroyed 34 homes, while 12 families were stranded after a bridge straddling Sungai Langat collapsed.

At the local level, district officers are authorised to declare an area as a disaster zone and are also tasked with coordinating inter-agency relief efforts.

A flood evacuation centre at SJK (T) Ladang Emerald for affected residents of Taman Sri Muda residents last year. — Filepic

Providing psychosocial care

Meanwhile, the National Welfare Foundation (YKN) has been training its staff and volunteers on how to help in the event of a flood crisis.

YKN chief executive officer Nordina Haron said these volunteers would provide psychosocial care to flood victims.

“When people are displaced due to flooding, it becomes a time of stress and uncertainty.

“During this time, we will send our counsellors and volunteers to the evacuation centres to help console them,” she said, adding that they had been trained by registered counsellors.

Additional patrols

The Selangor Fire and Rescue Department said patrols were being stepped up in flood-prone areas to monitor the situation.

Its director Norazam Khamis said this was to ensure speedy mobilisation of resources such as personnel and boats to affected areas.

“We will not wait for orders from other agencies. If the situation calls for it, we will go in immediately,” he said.

He said the department had identified 307 flood-prone areas and 52 flood hotspots in Selangor.

“An area is considered flood-prone if it has experienced flooding before.

“A hotspot is an area that has been flooded thrice or more since 2019,” he elaborated.

Norazam advised the public to keep tabs on announcements by relevant government agencies and evacuate if necessary.

He noted that Selangor was expected to receive between 250mm and 370mm and 210mm to 310mm of rain in November and December, respectively.

According to the Drainage and Irrigation Department, rainfall is categorised as a drizzle (1-10mm), light rain (11-30mm), heavy rain (31-60mm) and downpour (>60mm).