KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Works Department (PWD) has activated its Disaster Operations Room (BigBen) and launched an upgraded version of its Disaster Management System application, eBENCANA, today in preparation for the upcoming Northeast Monsoon season.
The Works Ministry is taking proactive steps in response to the Malaysian Meteorological Department's announcement.
The Northeast Monsoon which began on Nov 5, 2024, will continue until March next year.
"The BigBen platform provides real-time updates on flood conditions, road closures, alternative routes, weather reports from the Meteorological Department, and contact details for the BigBen hotline at the PWD Headquarters and state offices," said PWD Malaysia's Road Facility Maintenance Branch acting director Mohd Nasir Bontat.
BigBen uses a traffic light system to categorise disasters by severity:
Level 1 (green): Manageable situations affecting one or two districts, with updates issued twice daily.
Level 2 (yellow): More severe situations affecting at least three districts or two states, with four updates per day.
Level 3 (red): Severe disasters impacting two states, with six updates daily.
Mohd Nasir said that BigBen had undergone significant upgrades following the minister's visit in 2022, with enhancements completed on Oct 30 this year.
The eBENCANA app is a key part of this upgrade, offering an integrated platform that consolidates data from the Disaster Management Portal (bencana.jkr.gov.my) for direct access via mobile phones.
The app is available for download on both the App Store and Google Play.
The collaboration between BigBen and eBENCANA is designed to improve disaster management and provide a reliable resource for agencies involved in national disaster response.
This will enable more efficient coordination and quicker access to critical information.
"I proposed these upgrades not just for better infrastructure but, more importantly, for an enhanced disaster monitoring system. I am proud to see the improvements today," said Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi who officiated the launch at the PWD headquarters here today.
He also encouraged the public to download the eBENCANA app.
Looking ahead, Nanta expressed hopes for further enhancements, including the addition of real-time live photos of disaster sites to improve the app and website's functionality.
For those travelling during the monsoon season, safer and more comfortable journeys can be planned by checking road conditions on various platforms: The JKR Malaysia Disaster Management Portal (bencana.jkr.gov.my), the eBENCANA app, the BIGBEN Facebook page, and the Road Facility Maintenance Branch's X (formerly Twitter) account (@CSFJ_JKR).