Floods: Negri DID suffered losses amounting to RM20mil in December

SEREMBAN: The Negri Sembilan Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID) incurred losses amounting to RM20mil as a result of damage to various assets and flood mitigation systems, including rainfall stations, following the floods that hit the state in December last year.

Its director, Ir Saari Abdullah, said that post-flood repair work was currently being implemented and was expected to be completed soon, through a Federal Government allocation of RM14mil.

“The DID has formulated short and long-term strategies to deepen the affected rivers due to sediment build-up during floods, resulting in shallow rivers.

“Therefore, we need to deepen the rivers so that they can accommodate heavy rainwater in the future as well as to conduct repairs to damaged structures,” he told reporters in conjunction with the state Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre open day, officiated by Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, here on Friday (April 1).

Meanwhile, Aminuddin said that via Phase 2 of the flood forecasting programme in Negri Sembilan under the 12th Malaysia Plan, a total of 106 existing rainfall stations would be upgraded, while 41 new stations would be built, involving an allocation of RM7.2mil from the Federal Government.

He said the stations are expected to be able to provide flood forecasts and warnings a week earlier than the two days previously.

He added that the stations would also be able to alert potentially affected residents to evacuate immediately, thus giving time for rescue agencies to formulate effective evacuation strategies.

“I have been informed that the new siren system will fully use solar energy, with a much longer range of up to to two kilometres, compared with the previous system of only 500m,” he said.

Aminuddin also hoped for the cooperation of the Village Community Management Council, appointed as “Sahabat Siren" in their respective districts to assist the government to convey information on the flood warning siren system to residents. – Bernama