PORTAL RASMI
JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI
AGENSI PENGURUSAN BENCANA NEGARA
JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI
AGENSI PENGURUSAN BENCANA NEGARA
Out of the water and into the fire
- Admin UKK
- Berita
JOHOR BARU: Firefighter Mohd Khairul Sufian Dahari and his team were once battling against a forest fire for seven days. They had not even finished dousing the fire when they were called away to rescue flood victims.
After saving the victims, they found themselves stranded, in need of rescue; the road leading back to their base was flooded.
Tackling both fires and floods was nothing new for the members of Sebana Cove Fire and Rescue Department station in Pengerang, Johor.
The station is surrounded by more than 1,000ha of peatland – including the oil palm plantation – which, as the weather gets hotter, are susceptible to catching fire. Once it burns, the flames can simmer for months.
Meanwhile, nearby Kota Tinggi is known to be a flood-prone area.
Assistant Fire Superintendent Mohd Khairul, the Sebana station chief, said they had been fighting for a week to put out fires at the Sebana Cove-punggai bypass on March 4 last year.
“But heavy rain fell in Kota Tinggi that evening. We were asked to send our boat to help with the rescue work.
”We were supposed to return to our base at 8am the next day but the road back was cut off by floods, so we only managed to return on March 6,” he recalled.
In October, the team faced one of the most challenging forest fires, stamping out the blaze at a 32ha site after nine days.
“We were lucky as it was raining heavily during the last day of the incident, which contributed to the success,” explained Mohd Khairul.
Twin natural disasters – fire and floods in the same place and at the same time – are no strange occurrences.
In 2023, the world’s hottest year, different places on the planet had to deal with fires and floods simultaneously due to climate change, which was exacerbated by the El Nino phenomenon.
In Malaysia, as the weather turns from the wetter northeast monsoon to warmer and drier days in the beginning of the year, authorities, who had been helping flood victims, will now be keeping watch on fire-prone areas.
Metmalaysia has already issued a Level One hot weather warning for three areas in Kedah: Pokok Sena, Pendang and Baling.
The Level One or alert level heatwave warning is issued when daily temperatures range between 35ºc and 37ºc for at least three consecutive days.
The weather is turning hotter, likely due to the possibility of El Nino being heightened between November and January.
Peatlands, the most fire-prone areas in the country, are especially vulnerable during this dry season.
Taming fires in such areas, as such, has proved to be a challenging task for firemen.
For Asst Supt Mohd Khairul and his team, making their way through the peatland was no walk in the park.
At times, they had to wade through a swamp, which was waist-deep, just to get to where the fire was.
“We deployed our AW139 helicopter to help conduct water drops.
“We also got help from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency’s amphibious Bombardier CL415MP aircraft,” he said.
Last year, the station received 51 calls involving forest fires, Asst Supt Mohd Khairul noted.
One of the main reasons for the fires, he said, was the landowners’ irresponsible action of attempting to clear their farm by burning away grass and leaves.
“It was only when the fire was out of their control that they called us for help,” he said.
“We also believe that other causes could be smokers who tossed their cigarette butts outside their vehicles.
“The forest fire in October started from a roadside blaze that was fanned by the strong wind,” Asst Supt Mohd Khairul added.
Kuching: Calon Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) yang tinggal di kawasan berisiko banjir diberi pilihan untuk tinggal di asrama sekolah atau rumah ahli keluarga berdekatan pusat peperiksaan berikutan keadaan cuaca tidak menentu ketika ini.
Langkah itu dicadangkan sebagai persediaan untuk memastikan calon tidak menghadapi masalah untuk menghadiri peperiksaan jika kediaman mereka dilanda banjir.
Pengarah Pendidikan Sarawak, Datuk Dr Azhar Ahmad berkata, pihaknya mengenal pasti beberapa lokasi berisiko banjir berikutan cuaca buruk yang sedang melanda ketika ini.
Sehubungan itu katanya, Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Sarawak (JPNS) membuat persiapan bagi menghadapi sebarang kemungkinan jika berlaku banjir ketika peperiksaan SPM yang bermula semalam hingga 7 Mac.
“JPNS menubuhkan jawatankuasa pengurusan bencana bersama pelbagai agensi Persekutuan dan negeri sebagai langkah berjaga-jaga jika banjir melanda sepanjang tempoh peperiksaan SPM.
“Setakat ini tiada sekolah yang terjejas akibat banjir, tetapi kita harus menyediakan pelan tindakan awal untuk menghadapi sebarang kemungkinan,” katanya.
Kota Bharu: Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri (JPN) Kelantan menyediakan tujuh pusat peperiksaan alternatif untuk calon Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) dan Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) sekiranya berlaku banjir di negeri ini.
Pengarahnya, Datuk Mohd Zamri Abdul Aziz berkata, tujuh pusat peperiksaan yang berisiko banjir membabitkan enam di Pasir Mas dan satu di Tumpat.
Katanya, antara sekolah yang terbabit adalah Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Rantau Panjang; Maahad Muhamadi Rantau Panjang membabitkan calon SPM dan STPM.
“Manakala lima lagi sekolah berisiko banjir hanya membabitkan calon SPM iaitu Sekolah Meakan nengah Ugama (A) Diniah, Sekolah Menengah Ugama (A) AI-Falah Siram, SMK Meranti, Sekolah Menengah
Ugama (A) Tarbiah Diniah Meranti dan Sekolah Menengah Ugama (A) Nurul Huda, Kajang
Sebidang di Tumpat.
“Melalui pelan tindakan banjir, pusat peperiksaan di SMK Rantau Panjang
dikekalkan dan dipindahkan ke aras bangunan lebih tinggi, Maahad Muhamadi Rantau Panjang dipindahkan ke SMK Gual Periok dan Sekolah Menengah Ugama (A) Diniah ke Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Lati.
“Selain itu, Sekolah Menengah Ugama (A) AI-Falah Siram ke Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Banggol Chicha manakala SMK Meranti dan Sekolah Menengah Ugama (A) Tarbiah Diniah Meranti masing-masing di SK Meranti sementara Sekolah Menengah Ugama (A) Nurul Huda, Kajang Sebidang di Tumpat ke SMK Chabang Empat,” katanya kepada
pemberita ketika sidang media selepas tinjuan hari pertama SPM 2023 di SMK) Dato’ Ahmad Maher, di sini semalam.
Katanya, dianggarkan lebih 600 calon terjejas banjir dipindahkan ke pusat peperiksaan alternatif terdekat jika sekolah mereka dinaiki air.
“Bagi pusat yang mempunyai asrama, calon ditempatkan di asrama manakala bagi sekolah yang tidak ada asrama akan ditempatkan di pusat alternatif.
“Pihak JPN sudah mengarah pengurus peperiksaan sekolah memaklumkan kepada calon agar hadir ke pusat peperiksaan ditetapkan jika banjir.
“Pusat asal ditenggelami banjir akan ditutup dan peperiksaan dijalankan di pusat alternatif,” katanya.
Kota Kinabalu: Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Sabah mengaktifkan jawatankuasa pengurusan bencana menerusi semua Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah (PPD) bagi menghadapi sebarang kemungkinan bencana alam yang boleh menjejaskan kehadiran calon Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) di negeri ini.
Timbalan Pengarah (Sektor Perancangan dan Pengurusan Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah) Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Sabah, Mohd Zaini Yanin, berkata pihaknya turut mengingatkan semua calon peperiksaan supaya segera menghubungi sekolah jika berlaku bencana di kawasan mereka.
Katanya, jawatankuasa pengurusan bencana akan bertindak segera jika ada insiden seperti banjir yang membabitkan calon peperiksaan di negeri ini.
“Bagaimanapun, setakat hari ini (semalam), peperiksaan di negeri ini berjalan dengan lancar dan kita mengharapkan proses peperiksaan ini dapat dijalankan dengan teratur.” katanya.
Kerja pembersihan selesai Jumaat
- Admin UKK
- Berita
Kerja pembersihan pasca banjir di Dungun yang terjejas teruk akibat banjir dijangka selesai Jumaat ini.
Timbalan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Bencana Terengganu, Hanafiah Mat, berkata kerja bermula Ahad lalu membabitkan pelbagai pihak dengan setakat ini operasi pembersihan mencapai lebih 50 peratus.
Beliau berkata, operasi pasca banjir memfokuskan kampung yang paling teruk terjejas dalam banjir gelombang keempat membabitkan Kampung Shukor, Kampung Pasir Raja, Kampung Belimbing dan Kampung Jongok Batu.
Katanya, terdapat lebih 500 sukarelawan termasuk Khidmat Pengurusan Kecemasan dan Bencana Malaysia (Khidmat Malaysia) Terengganu turut membersihkan masjid, balai raya, sekolah serta rumah penduduk.
“Setakat ini, lebih 50 peratus kerja pembersihan sudah selesai kerana selain sukarelawan, pemilik rumah juga membersihkan rumah mereka.
“Namun, ia mengambil sedikit masa kerana ada lumpur dan kita harap kerja pembersihan dapat diselesaikan segera.
“Jika diikutkan, kawasan seperti balai raya dan masjid sudah dibersihkan cuma yang tinggal rumah penduduk dan sukarelawan terus melaksanakan kerja pembersihan setiap hari walaupun dalam skala kecil,” katanya.
Banjir besar Khamis lalu menyebabkan tiga rumah hanyut dan satu daripadanya hanya tinggal tangga dan tiang rumah di Kampung Shukor, Hulu Dungun.
