SUNGAI BESAR: The government will set up nine permanent flood evacuation centres (PPK) to mitigate damage to schools used as temporary evacuation centres (PPS), says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic).
The Deputy Prime Minister said one permanent evacuation centre would be set up in each high-risk state to address the high maintenance costs incurred during floods.
"We found that the cost of renovating schools used as temporary evacuation centres was high, especially when classrooms need to be renovated as some schools do not have halls," he said when met by reporters after the Rural Road project handover ceremony here on Sunday (Dec 8).
National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) director-general Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus had said that the government plans to build nine permanent evacuation centres nationwide, complete with comfortable basic facilities, for the use of flood victims.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Nadma chairman, said that 32 Bailey bridges were being readied for deployment nationwide.
He said that the Public Works Department (JKR), in collaboration with the Army Corps of Engineers, was carrying out engineering and soil testing processes at seven locations.
"These bridges will be deployed to areas where bridges or roads have collapsed and are impassable," he said, adding that two Bailey bridges have already been installed in Kelantan, namely in Rantau Panjang and Pasir Mas. – Bernama
