IPOH: In anticipation of the upcoming monsoon season, leave for officers in both the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) and Public Works Department (JKR) will be frozen until the end of December, according to Perak exco member Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.
Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, the chairman of the infrastructure, energy, water, and public transportation committee, has instructed district engineers from both departments to closely monitor disaster-prone rivers, roads, and slopes.
Additionally, the frequency of monitoring water sources, catchment areas, slopes, and flash-flood hotspots has been increased by both departments.
“I have instructed district officers to immediately alert DID if any river bursts its banks,” said Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.
He added, “Remedial action will be taken immediately in the event of any unexpected incident caused by strong winds or heavy downpour. DID has identified a total of 139 hotspot areas in Perak for possible flash floods, overflow of rivers, and so forth.”
According to Mohammad Nizar, JKR teams are actively monitoring slopes from Simpang Pulai to Blue Valley en route to Cameron Highlands and on the Gerik-Jeli road on a daily basis.
Both departments are also consistently communicating with Tenaga Nasional Berhad and the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
“DID especially needs to constantly get information from TNB on the amount of water being released from the Temenggor Dam, for example,” explained Mohammad Nizar.
He further stated, “We have implemented numerous measures to prepare for the upcoming monsoon.”
