KUALA LUMPUR: Preparations are in full swing to face the year-end floods, with evacuation centres, rescue personnel and assets being made ready, says Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Datuk Mastura Mohd Yazid.
“The Social Welfare Department has prepared 6,010 centres (with a total capacity of) 1,620,855 evacuees,” she said during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday in reply to a question from Datuk Rubiah Wang (GPS-Kota Samarahan).
Rubiah had asked about the status of district disaster management committees in anticipation of floods.
Mastura said the department has also prepared eight depots to serve as the main storage centres for supplies needed by flood victims.
In addition to that, some 76,336 first responders and 22,622 assets are ready for mobilisation, while the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) has allocated RM30,000 for two fibre boats and life jackets for each district.
For monitoring and warning alert purposes, a total of 1,312 telemetry stations, 526 warning sirens and 184 mobile pumps are also on standby.
In terms of funding, Mastura said RM50,000 has been allocated to each district for flood management efforts, and RM1.08mil to eight response agencies.
She also said that the Chief Secretary to the Government will chair a task force on preparations for the north-east monsoon.
On a related note, Mastura said the government is looking at including Opposition lawmakers in the district flood management task forces.
“State reps and MPs (will have) the latest information and will be aware of problems (on the ground),” she said in response to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin (PH-Hang Tuah Jaya) on the inclusion of Opposition MPs in flood management efforts.
On Sept 29, Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Seri Mohamad Hamdan Wahid said there are 5,496 locations in the country that have been detected as being at risk of flooding, while 186 locations were identified as areas at risk of water surges.
