KUCHING, Jan 14: 22 telemetry stations within the Sungai Sarawak Catchment Areas are confirmed to be functioning well in providing real-time data to the Kuching Barrage Operation Room.
Minister of Transport Datuk Lee Kim Shin confirmed this after an inspection and manual tests at the site together with officers from his ministry, the staff of Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) and Kuching Barrage Operator.
“The information on rainfall and water level generated from these telemetry stations are used for decision making by the Kuching Barrage Operator together with my ministry and SRB in regulating the discharge of excess water from the Sungai Sarawak catchment areas to the sea,” he explained in a statement yesterday (Jan 13).
The heavy, continuous rainfall for the past few days which coincided with the king tide, he added, had resulted in a huge volume of water into the catchment areas and caused some low-lying areas to be inundated with water.
Aside from the inspection, Lee pointed out that SRB had also sent their teams to the villages where the telemetry stations are located for demonstrations.
The officers were there to explain to the local people the need for them to move to higher grounds once the sirens from the stations are activated by the rising water level in the areas.
“A 24-hour operation room at the SRB headquarters linked to the Kuching Barrage Operation Room had been activated to closely monitor the water level situation.
“With the unfavourable weather forecast from the Meteorological Department in these few days, those living in the low-lying areas have to be more vigilant and constantly follow advice that will be issued by the authorities from time to time,” urged Lee.—DayakDaily
