26 November 2007

Flood list on Civil Defence Department's website

The Star

KUANTAN: A list of flood-prone areas in the country will be posted on the Civil Defence Department's website for the public to have access to the information and enable them to make early preparations.

The department’s disaster and operations deputy director Kol Norhafifi Ismail said the data would be put up soon as there were still people who were ignorant of the fact they were living in flood-prone areas.

He said the data was compiled from information gathered from the National Security Council, police and local authorities.

“We will make a list of the places and post it on the department’s official website.

“This way, the public will have access as there are some who are only aware that their homes are in a flood-prone area when the premises get flooded,” he said at a briefing on the department’s state of preparedness for the monsoon season attended by Kuantan MP Datuk Fu Ah Kiow at the Kuantan Complex here yesterday.

Also present were director-general Datuk Nasir Mat Dam and state director Kol Ibrahim Mat Adam.

Norhafifi said there were 1,258 flood-prone areas with 2,349 relief centres which could accommodate more than 760,000 evacuees in the country.

“There are 232 permanent officers and 57,834 volunteers placed on stand-by with another 3,843 who can be deployed at any time.

“The department has also spent RM356,361.95 of the RM636,955 to purchase raw materials in its preparation for the floods,” he said.

On the emergency number that the public could use, Norhafifi said they could still use 991 as the call would be put through to the 999 number.

Fu expressed satisfaction over the department’s state of preparedness and urged more people to join the department as volunteers.

For details about the department and its operations, visit www.civildefence.gov.my.

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