KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — A total of 76,336 officers and members of the disaster response agencies at all levels, including the districts, are fully prepared for possible floods during the north-east monsoon season.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Function) Datuk Mastura Mohd Yazid said also on standby were a total of 22,622 land, water and air assets, as well as medicine.

The Irrigation and Drainage Department (JPS), she said, had also set up 1,312 rainfall and water level telemetry stations, 526 flood warning sirens as well as 1,571 straight gauges and 184 mobile pumps for monitoring and early warning purposes.

She said each district had also been allocated RM50,000, while an allocation amounting to RM1.08 million had been channelled to eight response agencies.

"Nadma (National Disaster Management Agency) also allocated RM30,000 for the supply of two motorised fibre boats for each district along with life jackets, and the procurement of the boats will be carried out by the State Disaster Management Committee,” she said.

Mastura said this during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today when responding to a question Datuk Rubiah Wang (GPS-Kota Samarahan) on the flood preparations by District Disaster Management Committee across the country.

She said a task force to oversee preparations for the Northeast Monsoon season chaired by the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali would be formed. — Bernama