State to better handle disasters with Disaster Reporting System

THE State Disaster Management Committee will be able to monitor and oversee operations more effectively during disasters with the setting up of the computerised Disaster Reporting System.

Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Rural Economy Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said information on disasters could be obtained from the data entered by district officers throughout the state into the system.

“The state government is in the midst of developing a computerised Disaster Reporting System. Through this system, the district officers are the only ones who can enter the data,” he said during his ministerial winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly sitting yesterday.

The minister added that a total of 17,097 personnel from Civil Defense Force (APM), Malaysian Armed Forces ( ATM), Royal Malaysia Police ( PDRM), Fire and Rescue Department, Sarawak Welfare Department ( SWD) and People’s Volunteer Corps ( Rela) had been put on alert to deal with flood during the rainy season.

He revealed that the committee was backed logistically by five helicopters, 154 lorries, 358 fourwheeldrive vehicles, 226 boats and 50 ambulances from various agencies and departments which are on standby.

“The SWD has also made preparations to set up 610 evacuation centres across the state and appointed 160 logistics providers to be stationed at 25 forward bases in strategic places,” he said.

According to Uggah, the Welfare Department had given a total of RM2.8 million in aid to 62,514 victims of floods, storms, landslides, droughts and fires from Jan 1 to June 30, this year.

He added the National Disaster Management Agency ( NADMA) had also disbursed a total of RM4.32 million in aid to 10,634 heads of households affected by flood and other disasters up till Oct 31 this year.