M. Hamzah Jamaluddin New Straits Times 5 Jan 14;
MEASURES IN PLACE: Sounding sirens among steps to be taken, says state secretary
KUANTAN: SEVERAL measures have been introduced to ensure that the evacuation of flood victims and the distribution of aid in Pahang will be carried out smoothly in the event of a second wave of floods this month.
State Natural Disaster Relief Committee chairman Datuk Seri Muhammad Safian Ismail said police and the Information Department would deploy their vehicles and sound sirens to warn the public if their areas would be flooded.
"Based on weather forecasts, the second wave of floods is predicted to occur between New Year's Eve and Monday (tomorrow). Our main focus will be Sungai Isap and Cenderawasih here," he said yesterday.
Safian, who is also state secretary, said the area here had been divided into several areas. They would each be handled by a specific agency to ensure that there were no overlapping roles and confusion among the agencies involved.
He said the area along the left side of Jalan Gambang to Kampung Ubai would be handled by the army, Bukit Rangin and Permatang Badak (Fire and Rescue Department), town centre and Cenderawasih (Civil Defence Department), Beserah to Kemaman border (Royal Malaysian Navy and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency) and Kampung Padang to Sungai Lembing (police).
"The agencies will also prepare meals for the flood victims," he said, adding that the new approach only involved Kuantan because of the high number of complaints received during the first wave of floods last month.
As for the other districts, he said existing standard operating procedures would be carried out with some improvements, including early warning.
He said new relief centres had already been identified in Indera Mahkota here to shelter flood victims.
"If a school is turned into a relief centre, the administration staff and teachers will help distribute aid to flood victims while Kuantan Municipal Council staff will assist the Welfare Department at other buildings."
For other districts, he said the Village Security and Development Committees would help distribute aid as usual.
He said the Drainage and Irrigation Department and the local authorities had also cleaned the drainage systems in their areas, including here, where more than 30,000 people were evacuated during the first wave of floods.
On claims that the irrigation system here could not cope with heavy rains during the monsoon season, Safian said the 940mm rainfall recorded between Dec 2 and 3 last year would require three new rivers within the town areas to effectively channel the water to the sea and avoid massive flooding.
