Kuala Lumpur: Sebanyak RM21.16 juta Bantuan Wang Ihsan (BWI) sudah diagihkan kepada 21,156 ketua isi rumah (KIR) yang terjejas akibat banjir di Kelantan pada November lalu.
Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, berkata maklumat bilangan KIR yang terjejas dan nilai agihan BWI juga sedang dikemas kini oleh daerah dan negeri secara bulanan sebelum jumlah keseluruhan sepanjang Monsun Timur Laut (MTL) 2024/2025 dapat dijana dan dilaporkan secara menyeluruh.
Ahmad Zahid yang juga Menteri Kemajuan Desa dan Wilayah, berkata bagi Monsun MTL 2024/2025, Agensi Pengurusan Bencana Negara (NADMA) sudah menyalurkan peruntukan awal bantuan bencana berjumlah RM50 juta kepada Kelantan bagi pemberian BWI kepada mangsa bencana yang terjejas dan memenuhi syarat kelayakan.
“Proses pengagihan BWI bermula dengan penyediaan senarai nama mangsa bencana yang mendaftar atau dipindahkan ke pusat pemindahan sementara (PPS).
“Maklumat itu akan disemak dan disahkan Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Daerah (JPBD) dan Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Negeri (JPBN).
“Pejabat Pembangunan Negeri Kelantan seterusnya akan mengagihkan BWI kepada KIR berdasarkan senarai akhir yang diterima daripada JPBN bagi memastikan bantuan sampai kepada penerima yang layak dengan tepat dan teratur,” katanya melalui jawapan bertulis yang disiarkan di laman web Parlimen.
Beliau menjawab soalan Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (Pnkuala Krai) mengenai masa yang diambil untuk kerajaan membuat bayaran BWI banjir kepada isi rumah yang terjejas banjir akhir November lalu di Kelantan.
Terus laksana IPG
Sementara itu, Menteri Perladangan dan Komoditi, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, berkata kerajaan akan meneruskan pelaksanaan mekanisme Insentif Pengeluaran Getah (IPG) bagi memastikan pekebun kecil memperoleh harga lantai minimum walaupun harga pasaran getah rendah.
Inisiatif itu dilaksanakan selepas mengambil kira cabaran dihadapi pekebun kecil dan sektor perladangan disebabkan pelbagai faktor antaranya ketidakstabilan harga getah, kekurangan tenaga buruh dan ancaman penyakit tanaman.
Bagaimanapun, beliau berkata, trend harga di atas paras pengaktifan IPG, iaitu RM3 per kilogram sejak Mac tahun lalu di Semenanjung memberi sedikit kelegaan kepada pekebun kecil getah.
Selain itu, katanya, kerajaan akan meneruskan dan memperkukuh penyertaan dalam International Tripartite Rubber Council (ITRC), terutama negara pengeluar utama untuk mengawal bekalan dan meningkatkan penggunaan getah asli pada peringkat global.
“Kerajaan turut menyedari hakikat kekurangan tenaga kerja tempatan dan asing dalam sektor huluan industri getah terutama penoreh getah. “Sebagai langkah strategik, kementerian ini bersama agensi pelaksana, syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC) dan syarikat swasta yang berada dalam rantaian bekalan sedang membangunkan model konsolidasi dan kluster,” katanya.
Proses ambil tanah PLSB
Dalam pada itu, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata, kerajaan memberi jaminan proses pengambilan tanah bagi pembangunan Projek Lembangan Sungai Bersepadu (PLSB) Sungai Golok di Kelantan akan diselesaikan dalam tempoh enam bulan.
Perdana Menteri berkata, ia bagi membolehkan pelaksanaan projek berkenaan dipercepatkan dalam usaha menangani masalah banjir di negeri itu.
Beliau antara lain memaklumkan fasa I, II dan II bagi projek tebatan banjir di Rantau Panjang, termasuk yang diselenggara Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN) turut disekalikan bagi tujuan sama.
Projek disenggara MKN itu membabitkan rundingan Sungai Golok-rantau Panjang di Kelantan serta kerja mengorek dan membersihkan muara Sungai Golok antara Kerajaan Persekutuan dan Kerajaan Thailand.
“(Proses) menyegerakan (pelaksanaan projek berkenaan) bermakna (terdapat kos) RM2 bilion tambahan, pada masa sama, apabila kita menyegerakan penjimatan kos ketiga-tiga fasa PLSB Sungai Golok ini kita jimat RM1.7 bilion,” katanya yang juga Menteri Kewangan pada sesi Pertanyaan Perdana Menteri di Dewan Rakyat, semalam.
PETALING JAYA – Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS) Sabah melaksanakan projek pembangunan lembangan sungai bersepadu Sungai Moyog dan rancangan tebatan banjir Lido, Kota Kinabalu bagi mengurangkan risiko banjir di kawasan berkenaan.
Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi berkata, projek berkenaan merupakan sebahagian daripada usaha kerajaan memastikan keselamatan dan kesejahteraan penduduk selain menyokong pembangunan mampan bandar raya yang sedang pesat membangun.
“Saya berkesempatan untuk meninjau kolam takungan utama yang merupakan salah satu komponen penting dalam usaha mengurangkan risiko banjir di kawasan ini.
“Kawasan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu kini sedang berkembang pesat dengan kepadatan penduduk yang semakin meningkat. Namun, masalah banjir masih menjadi cabaran utama,” katanya dalam hantaran di Facebook.
Ahmad Zahid yang juga Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Negara hari ini, mempengerusikan Mesyuarat High Level Committee (HLC) Pengurusan Bencana Negara dan mendengar taklimat JPS Sabah mengenai pelaksanaan projek tebatan banjir di kawasan tersebut.
Beliau turut berharap projek itu dapat dilaksanakan dengan lancar demi kepentingan penduduk di sekitar Kota Kinabalu.
“Saya berterima kasih kepada semua pihak yang terlibat dalam menjayakan projek ini dan berharap agar ianya berjalan lancar demi manfaat rakyat khususnya di Kota Kinabalu ini, insya-Allah,” ujarnya. – KOSMO! ONLINE
KOTA KINABALU, Feb 24 — The federal government will implement various measures, including artificial intelligence technology, to mitigate flooding issues in the country, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said that the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), the irrigation and drainage department is working closely with the Meteorological Department and the Department of Minerals and Geology, and other relevant agencies will collaborate to manage and reduce the risk of floods.
“For long-term disaster management, will implement comprehensive flood mitigation plans. This includes using artificial intelligence and the latest technology to enhance disaster response and risk reduction,” he said when speaking to reporters at the launching of the Lido flood mitigation project site in Penampang here.
“We urge residents in high-risk areas to strictly follow evacuation instructions when early warnings are issued. This will allow for timely evacuations, reducing risks to flood victims,” he said.
In a separate development, Nadma will soon be partnering with Bank Simpanan Nasional to ensure transparency and efficient disbursement of aid to disaster victims.
The government previously relied on district offices and Village Development and Security Committees (JKKK) to disburse the funds which he said was for flood victims who had to be evacuated to temporary evacuation centres (PPS).
However, some flood victims did not stay at these centres.
“Therefore, starting this year, Nadma and the Ministry of Finance have changed the distribution method, moving away from the conventional system. We have held discussions to ensure that relocated flood victims receive the aid directly through BSN,” he said.
He also said that Sabah and Sarawak have requested that the aid also be extended to flood victims who did not move to the centres..
Ahmad Zahid, who leads the Central Disaster Management Committee, also said that 14 flood mitigation projects are underway in Sabah, while 10 are planned for Sarawak.
“The meeting also approved the construction of a permanent disaster evacuation centre (PPKB) in Long Busang, Belaga, Sarawak. Nadma will collaborate with the Education Ministry to develop similar centres in other areas. Currently, the only existing PPKB is at Dewan Serbaguna Taman Kota Jaya, Kota Tinggi, Johor,” he said.
This year, floods displaced 9,735 people in Sabah, forcing them into 68 temporary evacuation centres. The disaster also damaged public infrastructure, including suspension bridges in Kota Marudu and Pitas. In Sarawak, more than 37,000 households were affected.
Natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad says regular monitoring of Sungai Kreh has shown persistent poor water quality.
KUALA LUMPUR:Pollution from pig farms is believed to be polluting a river in Penang, with tests showing poor water quality, says natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Nik Nazmi told the Dewan Rakyat today that five readings from Sungai Kreh, near Tasek Gelugor, showed a high ammoniacal nitrogen sub-index, suggesting inflows of waste, likely from animal sewage or fertilisers.
He said regular monitoring by the environment department had shown persistently poor water quality.
“This is likely due to the discharge of untreated pig farm waste, as there is no operational sewage treatment plant in the area.
“We have also conducted an odour pollution study at Kampung Selamat in Tasek Gelugor, with monitoring carried out at 13 locations in the area,” he said.
Nik Nazmi said the department had shared its findings with the relevant agencies in Penang, such as the veterinary services department and the Seberang Perai City Council.
He said while all inspected industrial premises in the area comply with the Environmental Quality Act 1974, the disposal of pig farm waste does not fall under the environment department’s jurisdiction.
He was responding to Siti Mastura Muhammad (PN-Kepala Batas), who raised concerns over the disposal of pig farm sewage into the river.
The Penang government said last November it had stepped up enforcement to curb pollution from pig farms, pushing them to convert from open farm systems to closed systems to improve waste management.
According to a written reply to a PN assemblyman in Penang, 117 farms have adopted the system as of 2024, with Kampung Valdor now sending waste to a biogas facility instead of discharging into rivers.
In Seberang Perai Utara, where Tasek Gelugor is located, farms are required to install solid waste separators and maintain sewage ponds treated with beneficial bacteria and fungi to break down waste, reduce odour and improve water and soil quality.
A total of 50 farms were penalised as of November, mainly in Seberang Perai Utara (33) and Seberang Perai Selatan (15).
Farms exceeding the 50ppm biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) limit face fines of at least RM5,000. A total of 519 compound notices have been issued since 2022.
BOD measures how much oxygen is needed to break down waste in water, with higher readings indicating more pollution and less oxygen for aquatic life.