BAGAN DATUK, Nov 4 — Seven more Bailey bridges will be installed in several identified flood-prone areas to prepare for the northeast monsoon expected to hit Malaysia this month.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, in his capacity as the National Disaster Management Committee chairman, said the bridges were part of preparations for floods, along with permanent relief shelters.
Coordination between the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) and other enforcement agencies has been held to craft strategies and action plans as early preparations.
“Nadma has ordered the bridges and also cooperated with the Education Ministry to create permanent relief shelters at schools which were previously used as temporary relief shelters.
“Permanent relief shelters that are built will have toilets and showers according to the potential number of evacuees, and during non-flood seasons, they can be used as school halls,” he said to the press after attending a Deepavali function at the Bagan Datuk Umno Complex today.
Zahid added that at least 67 districts throughout the country have been identified as flood-prone areas. The National Disaster Management Committee has obtained a list of flood evacuees who must be housed in shelters during the monsoon period.
The government has allocated RM500 million under Budget 2024 for flood mitigation programmes and expects there will be additional costs incurred by 2030.
In Perak, 280 evacuees from 78 families are housed in four shelters in the Hilir Perak and Kerian districts as of this evening.
— Bernama
