KOTA BARU: The federal government allocated RM9 million for the maintenance of infrastructure to reduce flood risk in Kelantan this year, the State Legislative Assembly was told.
State Welfare, Women and Family Development Committee chairman Mumtaz Md Nawi said the allocation, which was channelled to the Kelantan Department of Irrigation (DID), had been used for the maintenance of river and canal, restoration of riverbanks, repair of bridges, and deepening of estuaries in every province.
“Besides, the government has also implemented the National Flood Forecasting and Warning Programme (PRAB) with a system capable of forecasting floods seven days ahead and giving flood warning two days earlier to the stakeholders and the people involved.
“Under the first phase of PRAB, 26 monitoring stations had been built along the Kelantan and Golok rivers involving cost of RM29 million, while 53 existing stations had been upgraded,” she said in reply to Mohd Nazlan Mohamed Hasbullah (PAS-Limbongan) who wanted to know the preparation done and would be done by the state government in facing the monsoon season and floods in the state.
Elaborating, Mumtaz said the DID would carry out the second phase of PRAB by building 19 other monitoring stations along Sungai Semerak in Pasir Puteh starting next year.
The state government had also appointed 5,454 volunteers as supervisors and committee members at all flood relief centres statewide. — Bernama
