CLOUD SEEDING MULLED
- Admin UKK
- Berita
FIREFIGHTERS have dropped 143,000 litres of water to contain a blaze that has destroyed a coconut plantation near the Kuantan-Sungai Ular bypass here. The Fire and Rescue Department said in a Facebook post an Mi-17 helicopter conducted 110 rounds of water bombing, each time dropping 1,300 litres.
“The helicopter was deployed from the Fire and Rescue Department’s airbase to assist in the operation in Sungai Ular on Feb 25 with 11 crew members. The operation was suspended before resuming on March 3,” the post said.
“Water bombing has been ef- fective in preventing the fire from spreading. But hot weather and strong winds have caused smoke to drift towards Kuantan town, reducing visibility to less than 4km.
“The operation will continue until the fire is fully under control.”
Yesterday, the department said it was ready to deploy more manpower and assets to control the fire, which had raged for nearly two weeks and also spread to a nearby forest on Thursday.
During an inspection of the fire site yesterday, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the government was ready to carry out cloud seeding, but would consult experts and the relevant agencies before proceeding.
State Fire and Rescue Department director Mohd Razam Taja Rahim said the Mi-17 helicopter was dousing flames at the coconut plantation and the forest.
“Our focus is on extinguishing the fire near the forest. Once that is under control, we will work on containing the smoke.
“The Mi-17 was deployed last week. As the fire was nearly put out by water bombing, the team returned to base.
“But strong winds on March 2 reignited the flames, prompting the air unit to resume the operation.”
It is learnt that the water is taken from three lakes at the Sultan Ahmad Shah Maritime Academy, about 4km from the affected peatland.
Page 1 pic: A Fire and Rescue Department Mi-17-iV helicopter carrying out another sortie to fight the fires at a coconut farm near Sungai Ular, Pahang, recently.
ibut kencang dilaporkan melanda Sekinchan dan Tanjong Karang di Selangor semalam.
Bernama memetik Penolong Pengarah Bahagian Operasi Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia (JBPM) Selangor Ahmad Mukhlis Mukhtar sebagai berkata kejadian itu tidak melibatkan kemalangan jiwa dan kecederaan.
Bagaimanapun, tambahnya, ribut itu menjejaskan lapan buah rumah.
Bagaimanapun, Adun Sekinchan Ng Suee Lim melalui satu hantaran di Facebook melaporkan bahawa lebih 10 rumah milik petani rosak teruk akibat dilanda angin kencang itu.
Katanya, ribut itu berlaku di Parit Empat berhampiran sempadan parlimen Tanjong Karang.
Catatan Facebook Jabatan Kerja Raya Sabak Bernam semalam berkata rondaan dan pemeriksaan sedang dijalankan bagi menentukan jumlah kerosakan akibat ribut itu.
Turut dilampirkan pada hantaran itu adlah video berdurasi dua minit dan 12 saat yang memaparkan serpihan berpusar di udara manakala bumbung rumah tercabut.
Laporan Bernama kemudiannya memetik seorang peniaga warung Azman Mastol, 58, sebagai berkata ribut itu telah menyebabkan diakerugian kira-kira RM120,000 selepas rumahnya rosak teruk.
Menurutnya, adalah kali pertama bencana seumpamanya berlaku sepanjang dia membesar di kawasan berkenaan dengan ketika kejadian, dia dan isteri berada di rumah anak sulung mereka di Putrajaya.
"Saya bergegas pulang sebaik dimaklumkan jiran, dan sejurus tiba, saya lihat bumbung terutamanya di bahagian dapur musnah manakala di dalam rumah sudah digenangi air akibat hujan lebat yang merosakkan perabot serta barangan elektrik.
"Saya sedih kerana rumah ini menjadi tempat anak cucu berkumpul ketika Aidilfitri. Melihat keadaan rumah, saya rasa mungkin tahun ini kami terpaksa beraya di rumah anak di Putrajaya," katanya ketika ditemui di rumahnya.
Menurut laporan itu, kebanyakan bumbung kediaman di kawasan berkenaan rosak, selain banyak kelengkapan rumah terjejas kerana kejadian berlaku ketika hujan lebat.
KUANTAN - Kebakaran ladang kelapa di belakang Taman Perindustrian Malaysia-China Kuantan (MCKIP) Gebeng di sini sejak 22 Februari lalu merebak hingga ke kawasan hutan berhampiran.
Pengarah Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia (JBPM), Mohd Razam Taja Rahim berkata, kawasan hutan yang terbakar seluas 7.5 hektar menjadikan keseluruhan lokasi yang terjejas mencecah hampir 150 hektar sejak kebakaran mula dikesan.
Menurutnya, sehingga Khamis, 138 hektar daripada 526.09 hektar kawasan ladang telah terbakar, dengan 98 hektar berjaya dipadamkan.
“Kerja-kerja pemadaman babitkan baki 44 hektar yang masih terbakar diteruskan.
“Bagaimanapun, situasi terkini boleh dikatakan semakin terkawal dengan tumpuan kini kepada titik api baharu terutama melibatkan kawasan hutan berhampiran,” katanya.
Mohd Razam berkata, operasi pemadaman menggunakan kaedah bom air melalui pesawat Mi-17 diteruskan terutama di titik kebakaran baharu.
Jelasnya, bermula 26 Februari lalu, 143,000 liter air telah digugurkan daripada 110 'dumb' bom air.
"Kaedah itu terpaksa digunakan kerana keadaan kawasan yang terbakar sukar diakses berikutan jalan lama tidak diselenggara serta tiada langsung laluan untuk masuk ke kawasan hutan.
“Selain itu, kaedah pemadaman terus kepada punca api turut dilaksana dengan menempatkan anggota dalam kawasan terbakar dibantu oleh unit udara.
“Pihak bomba akan menambah anggota 20 hingga 30 orang juga peralatan dengan bantuan daripada agensi sahabat dan kerajaan negeri bagi meningkatkan lagi keupayaan kerja-kerja pemadaman,” jelasnya.
Sementara itu, Mohd Razam berkata, pihaknya menjangkakan operasi pemadaman dapat diselesaikan minggu ini namun masalah asap mungkin mengambil masa untuk hilang sepenuhnya.
"Faktor cuaca dan angin yang menolak asap hingga berlaku jerebu di sekitar Kuantan," katanya.
Sementara itu, Indeks Pencemaran Udara (IPU) sekitar Kuantan pada tahap sederhana setakat jam 10 pagi pada Jumaat dengan kawasan Balok Baru merekod bacaan 76 dan Indera Mahkota, 54.
Sementara itu, pada Khamis, Menteri Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad telah meninjau lokasi terbabit.
Semasa tinjuan itu, Nik Nazmi memaklumkan kerajaan sedia mempertimbangkan cadangan melaksanakan pembenihan awan bagi membantu memadamkan kebakaran ladang kelapa yang berlarutan itu.
Bagaimanapun menurutnya, pelaksanaan itu perlu mengikut prosedur termasuk perbincangan dengan Jabatan Meteorologi Malaysia (METMalaysia).
KUALA LUMPUR, 7 Mac- Kerajaan sentiasa bersedia menghadapi situasi cuaca panas dan kering, terutamanya dengan kedatangan Monsun Barat Daya, kata Menteri Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Katanya, monsun berkenaan dijangka membawa cuaca panas dan kering dari Mei hingga September tahun ini.
Semua pihak berkuasa perlu melaksanakan pemantauan berterusan mengikut bidang kuasa masing-masing dan bersedia mengambil tindakan selaras dengan Pelan Tindakan Pembakaran Terbuka dan Pelan Tindakan Jerebu Kebangsaan.
Ini bagi mengekang pembakaran terbuka, jerebu, dan kebakaran berulang.
"Menurut statistik Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS), lebih 1,000 aduan pembakaran terbuka diterima antara Januari hingga Februari 2025.
"Sebagai langkah pencegahan, pihak berkuasa perlu memastikan kesiapsiagaan infrastruktur tanah gambut dan jentera berkaitan bagi membolehkan sebarang insiden kebakaran dipadamkan dengan segera.
"Kerajaan negeri turut diseru untuk membangunkan infrastruktur tanah gambut di kawasan berisiko terbakar, selaras dengan usaha yang telah dilaksanakan oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan pada masa ini," katanya menerusi kenyataan.
Tambah beliau, selaras dengan Kepengerusian ASEAN 2025, kerajaan akan meneroka peluang mengetengahkan beberapa strategi dalam menambah baik pelaksanaan Perjanjian ASEAN mengenai Jerebu Merentas Sempadan (AATHP).
Terdahulu, Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Induk Jerebu dan Cuaca Kering Kebangsaan (JIJCKK) Bil. 1 diadakan bagi meneliti keadaan cuaca semasa dan akan datang, melaporkan status kualiti udara dan kejadian pembakaran terbuka.
KUANTAN: Additional firefighters and assets will be deployed to battle the series of wildfires near the Kuantan-Sungai Ular bypass, which have been raging for nearly two weeks.
The flames, which have already devastated a 130ha coconut plantation, spread to a 7.5ha forest area yesterday.
To make matters worse, there are no access routes to the burning site.
Some 70 firefighters from 11 stations across three districts namely Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin along with multiple assets including an MI-17 helicopter have been deployed to carry out aerial firefighting at both locations.
Pahang Fire and Rescue Department director Mohd Razam Taja Rahim said aerial surveillance by the department's air unit led to the discovery of thick white smoke billowing from a new fire spot in the forest area early yesterday.
"There are no roads to reach the new fire site so we have deployed 30 firemen along with water pump and fire hose to the sites. The Mi-17 helicopter was used to send the manpower and assets to the site...we needed to control the fire to prevent the flames from spreading further.
"The department will increase manpower between 20 and 30 personnel including assets. Deploying more men on the ground will not overstrain the existing personnel and we can cover both areas (coconut farm and forest area) simultaneously.
"The fire at the coconut farm has been brought under control by applying the direct attack (extinguishing) technique where water is aimed directly at the burning flames but the soil burning beneath the surface remains a concern," he told reporters when met at the coconut farm here yesterday.
Razam said the department has assigned and stationed firefighters at all the hotspots in both locations to immediately respond in case of any signs of fresh fires, while also keeping the existing flames under control.
"We have thermal drones equipped with infrared imaging capabilities to provide aerial surveillance and valuable insights into the exact fire location. Based on the images captured by the drones, we will assign our men via walkie-talkies to inspect the respective site and provide updates on the situation on the ground.
"As I mentioned earlier, we hope to bring the fire under control and completely douse the flames this week. We are now focusing on the forest area to ensure the fire does not spread further or pose a threat to housing settlements in Balok near here," he said.
Razam had earlier accompanied Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad to visit the coconut plantation that caught fire on Feb 22.