OFFICIAL PORTAL
PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT
NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT
NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
KATHMANDU, Sept 24 — Nepal’s top disaster official said an estimated 33,000 people affected by last month’s devastating flood will be required to resettle rather than returning home, as the South Asian nation grapples with the aftermath of the disaster that damaged over 7,500 buildings and has left thousands of people still missing, Kyodo News reported.
Dharam Raj Uprety, chief of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, told Kyodo News in an exclusive interview that the areas where flood marks — in some places 13 metres higher than normal river levels — are visible are to be declared “danger zones.”
“We know there is a possibility of future disaster. So, we don’t want to take more risk,” Uprety said earlier this week, adding that the affected population, estimated to be around 33,000 people, would be resettled in safer areas.
The August 26 flood and debris flow triggered, according to Nepal’s government, by an ice-and-rock avalanche in the upper Lhende Khola watershed in Tibet, killed 1,451 people and left about 5,700 people, including over 600 foreign nationals, missing in Nepal. Of the missing, five are Japanese nationals.
Uprety acknowledged that sentimental attachment to places where people are born and spend their lifetime poses a challenge in convincing flood-affected people to move to a safer place.
But he said teams from his office, the Department of Survey, and relevant ministries have already scouted safer areas close to the danger zones, so that the flood-affected can move to “safe settlement” and live with “dignity.”
Search operations at the tunnels of some of the 12 hydropower projects pummelled by the avalanche debris are winding down. Authorities are planning to announce the conclusion of such operations and move to post-disaster recovery at the end of this week.
“There is very, very little chance or no chance of getting any survivor,” he said.
The government has decided to extend the immediate assistance of approximately US$2,600 (RM10,600), or 400,000 Nepalese rupees, to each family as a housing grant, on top of a monthly allowance of US$98, or 15,000 Nepalese rupees, to each family of up to four members as livelihood and rental support.
For each additional member of the four-member household, an extra 2,000 rupees is provided as livelihood and rental support.
Earlier this month, the government estimated US$4.77 billion would be needed for initial recovery from the flood, but Uprety said the amount is expected to increase.
“That (US$4.77 billion) is an initial estimate based on rapid assessment. It did not include the costs the government will have to bear to compensate flood-affected citizens for nationalising their privately-owned land, now designated as a danger zone,” he said.
“The final recovery need could very easily be double the initial estimate,” Uprety told Kyodo News.
Cash-strapped Nepal is hoping that part of the need will be met through Nepal’s development partners including Japan, China, India, Britain, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank, among others. — Bernama-Kyodo
Cheras landslide displaces 80 residents; families wait on safety verdict before returning home
- Admin UKK
- Berita
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 — The duration of the evacuation for residents affected by the landslide at Block D of Damai Perdana Apartments in Bandar Damai Perdana, Cheras, will depend on a technical assessment of the building’s structural safety.
Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) Councillor for Zone 6 Tan Kah Hoe said observations and assessments by the relevant agencies, which began yesterday, continued today, with the full technical report expected to be ready within the next few days.
The agencies involved include the Public Works Department (JKR), Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS), Minerals and Geoscience Department (JMG) and MPKj.
“I have asked the agencies to complete the report as soon as possible. They said it would take a few days,” he told Bernama when contacted here today.
On the water supply disruption affecting the four-block apartment complex, which comprises 360 residential units, Tan said water supply had been restored to Blocks A and B this morning.
“Block D remains without water supply, while restoring the supply to Block C is taking a little longer as the relevant authorities are identifying the route of the affected pipeline,” he said.
On the affected residents, Tan said 15 local families were currently staying at the temporary relief centre (PPS) at the Desa Baiduri community hall as of yesterday, compared with four families initially.
“For now, accommodation and food for the affected residents are being managed by the Social Welfare Department.
“Police are also assisting with security at the affected homes to ensure the area remains safe,” he said.
On Tuesday, about 80 residents from 45 units at Block D were ordered to evacuate immediately following a landslide on the hillside near the block at about 8pm, believed to have been caused by an underground water leak. — Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR – Operasi Pembenihan Awan (OPA) dilaksanakan Selangor, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur dan Putrajaya bermula hari ini dan esok, susulan bacaan Indeks Pencemar Udara (IPU) bagi parameter PM2.5 di kawasan terbabit melebihi 150 selama lebih 24 jam.
Ketua Pengarah Agensi Pengurusan Bencana Negara (NADMA), Datuk Meor Ismail Meor Akim berkata, operasi itu dilaksanakan dengan kerjasama Jabatan Meteorologi Malaysia (MET Malaysia), Pihak Berkuasa Penerbangan Awam Malaysia (CAAM) dan Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM).
“Pesawat C-130 Hercules milik TUDM akan digunakan sebagai aset utama bagi menjalankan operasi berkenaan,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.
Jelasnya, pembenihan awan adalah antara usaha kerajaan bagi membantu mengurangkan kesan jerebu serta memperbaiki kualiti udara di kawasan terjejas.
“Pelaksanaan operasi bagaimanapun tertakluk kepada keadaan cuaca dan kewujudan awan yang sesuai bagi proses pembenihan,” katanya lagi.
Dalam masa sama, katanya, NADMA berrsama agensi berkaitan akan terus memantau perkembangan jerebu dan keadaan cuaca semasa bagi memastikan tindakan bersesuaian dapat diselaraskan dari semasa ke semasa.
Sebagai rekod, keadaan jerebu di Selangor, Kuala Lumpur dan Putrajaya berada pada tahap tidak sihat dengan bacaan Indeks Pencemaran Udara (IPU) melebihi 150 di kebanyakan kawasan.
Baru-baru ini dilaporkan, Johan Setia, Selangor mencatat IPU tertinggi iaitu 198; Shah Alam (170).
Di Wilayah Persekutuan KL pula, Batu Muda/Cheras mencatat IPU Sekitar 155 hingga 171, manakala Putrajaya 171. – MalaysiaGazette
JAKARTA, 17 Sept: Malaysia menawarkan bantuan kepada Indonesia bagi menangani kebakaran hutan yang turut menyebabkan jerebu rentas sempadan, khususnya di Sarawak, dengan menyediakan sebuah pesawat amfibi Bombardier CL-415MP milik Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim Malaysia (APMM), tiga helikopter serta 52 pegawai dan anggota.
Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi berkata, tawaran itu disampaikan kepada Naib Presiden Indonesia, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, dalam pertemuan di Istana Wakil Presiden, Jakarta, hari ini.
Katanya, tawaran berkenaan akan dibawa kepada Presiden Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto untuk mendapatkan persetujuan pemerintah Indonesia.
Beliau yang juga Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Bencana Pusat berkata, Malaysia melihat isu kebakaran hutan dan jerebu rentas sempadan sebagai cabaran bersama yang memerlukan kerjasama erat kedua-dua negara tanpa pendekatan saling menyalahkan.
“Sebagai sebuah negara jiran dan sahabat, Malaysia sentiasa bersedia menghulurkan bantuan dan bekerjasama. Jadi usaha ini kami tidak berhasrat untuk campur dalam halehwal Indonesia tetapi kami berhasrat untuk membantu supaya masalah jerebu yang datang ke Sarawak khususnya itu dapat diselesaikan dengan segera,” katanya kepada pemberita hari ini.
Beliau berkata, aspek pencegahan bencana perlu diberi perhatian berikutan kejadian kebakaran hutan yang berlaku setiap tahun.
Ahmad Zahid berkata, seluruh aset berkenaan telah diletakkan pada tahap kesiapsiagaan tertinggi untuk digerakkan bagi membantu operasi pemadaman kebakaran sebaik sahaja menerima persetujuan daripada Pemerintah Indonesia.
Menurutnya, kerjasama kedua-dua negara tidak seharusnya terhad kepada usaha pemadaman ketika bencana berlaku, sebaliknya perlu diperluas kepada langkah mitigasi dan pencegahan jangka panjang.
Katanya, langkah itu termasuk perkongsian maklumat, penyelarasan operasi serta tindakan awal bagi mengelakkan kejadian sama berulang setiap tahun.
Beliau berkata, kedua-dua negara turut menyedari bahawa jerebu tidak mengenal sempadan dan memberi kesan kepada ruang udara, kesihatan serta kehidupan rakyat.
Sehubungan itu, katanya, penyelesaian secara bersama perlu menjadi keutamaan Malaysia dan Indonesia.
Malaysia turut menghargai persetujuan Indonesia membenarkan penggunaan ruang udara di sempadan Kalimantan bagi pelaksanaan Operasi Pembenihan Awan oleh pihak Malaysia. -TVS
JAKARTA: Presiden Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto mengarahkan polis menyiasat sama ada syarikat yang dikaitkan dengan kebakaran hutan dan tanah di Sumatera dan Kalimantan boleh dipertanggungjawabkan secara jenayah.
Beliau menegaskan bahawa pembatalan lesen semata-mata tidak mencukupi, lapor Xinhua.
Arahan itu dikeluarkan semasa mesyuarat Kabinet pada Rabu yang membincangkan usaha memadam kebakaran dan langkah mitigasi bagi tempoh satu setengah bulan akan datang, yang dianggap pihak berkuasa sebagai tempoh berisiko tinggi berlaku kebakaran.
Prabowo berkata, lesen syarikat yang didapati bertanggungjawab terhadap kebakaran itu perlu dibatalkan dan syarikat berkenaan berdepan siasatan jenayah.
Wilayah Kalimantan dan Sumatera di Indonesia berdepan kebakaran hutan dan tanah yang meluas tahun ini, dengan jerebu menjejaskan penerbangan, memaksa penutupan sekolah dan menyebabkan kualiti udara berada pada tahap berbahaya di beberapa kawasan di negara itu. – BERNAMA-XINHUA