Kuching folk brave heavy rain on Jan 11, 2022. — Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (Sept 21): Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) has put in place meticulous preparations to face the coming northeast monsoon season which is expected to bring heavy rain and thunderstorms.
Its chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said the committee had predicted that Sarawak would be hit from December this year to January next year.
“We had a fruitful discussion to plan for our preparations with all the divisional-level administrations, all relevant departments and bodies state-wide,” he said after chairing a zoom meeting today.
He said the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) had identified 310 flood hotspots in the state; 73 in Sibu Division, 52 in Sri Aman, 42 in Kuching, 40 each in Samarahan and Miri, 32 in Bintulu and 31 in Limbang.
He also said Bomba too had identified 97 locations where road links are most susceptible to be cut off, with most of them (42) in Sibu.
“There are also 77 landslide prone locations with Sibu having the lion share at 32. The department will be enlisting some 1,590 officers and men for duty during the period.
“Some 9,187 members from 921 Bomba Komuniti teams, 8,624 members under the 40 Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programme and others will also assist,” he said.
In terms of logistics, Uggah said that Bomba is readying 48 boats, 16 lorries, 87 four-wheel vehicles and a helicopter while 1,663 officers and men from the police would be involved together with 52 lorries, 109 four-wheel vehicles, 119 motorcars, 35 vans, an ambulance and a bus.
The police officers and men are those attached to the General Operation Force, Marine, Air Wing and divisional and district police stations.
“For river and sea operations, they have prepared 647 assets such as jet skis, boats and life jackets. The police too have to date identified 631 evacuation centres in schools and community centres capable of accommodating 188,360 evacuees,” said Uggah.
He added that the Welfare Department had readied stock depots for food and other necessities and food caterers.
Some 1,971 officers and volunteers from the department will be on hand to help at the evacuation centres.
Uggah also revealed that the state’s newly formed Sarawak Coastguard will help by chipping in with six interceptors, six longboats and 100 personnel.
On other vital assets, he added the state had 245 rainfall, 280 telemetry and 114 water level stations.
He added that a three -day course would be held in Sibu next month to prepare those involved in the rescue operations.
Uggah also thanked Sultan Ibrahim Ismail of Johor for donating 6,400 tents to SDMC, which is a programme under his Yayasan Sultan Ibrahim Johor.