On the edge An aerial view of soil erosion on the bank of Sungai Kelantan in Kota Baru. Five families residing near here, in Kampung Pendek, say they live in fear of further land shifts, as they live mere metres from the site. — Bernama
PUTRAJAYA: More than 400 hotspots across the country will be monitored by the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) following the dry season that is expected to start next month.
JBPM director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohamad said the focus would be on peatland areas, illegal waste disposal sites, and landfills owned and operated by local authorities.
“The most worrying are peatland fires, especially in Selangor, Pahang, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak, so we will focus on hotspot locations that have been identified,” he said after attending the annual parade at the JBPM headquarters yesterday.
He said the dry weather this year is expected to be worse than the previous three years.
Therefore, he asked the public to notify the department immediately if they had information about any irresponsible parties who were involved in the fire, Bernama reported.
“We monitor through the system as well, but the most important and effective detection is the human eye ... to see and provide accurate information on the location and condition of the fire to enable us to act swiftly,” he said.
