Wednesday January 17, 2007
Memories of last year’s flood haunts TTDI folks
Story and photos by ELAN PERUMAL
THE bad memories of last year's flood still haunts the 15,000-odd residents of Taman TTDI Jaya in Shah Alam. Ever since that fateful afternoon, there has never been a day when they did not fear a repeat of the Feb 26 flood.
The residents are apprehensive, even when it is only drizzling outside.
The nightmare of having been trapped in their homes for more than 24 hours after the flood waters rose about a metre high is still fresh in their minds. Some were even locked up on the first floor of their homes and had to wait through an entire night before the waters subsided.
For the residents, Taman TTDI Jaya “is the biggest retention pond in the state capital”. They feel that their homes are on a lower ground as compared to neighbouring developments where the ground level had been raised to between five and 10 metres.
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Unfinished business: Seow says her home is still a mess as a result of last year’s floods. |
The “For Sale” signs have increased in recent months. However, there seems to be no takers.
“We were caught unawares before, and we do not want a repeat of it today,'' said Cindy Seow, 41, a managing director of a travel agency.
She had only recently spent about RM6,000 to paint her house. “I've incurred a loss of about RM30,000 in damages to furniture, electrical appliances, clothes, car and other items in last year's tragedy,” said Seow. “To this day my home is still messy.
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Bitter memories: Ameena suffered losses worth RM1mil when flood waters inundated her stationery shop last year. |
An executive with the Sungai Way Free Trade Zone, Amelia Zakaria, 33, said the residents had been having sleepless nights in recent weeks due to the current rainy spell.
“We have been moving our vehicles to higher ground near a bridge every time it rains,” she said, adding that they had done so twice in the last five days already.
“I have started to hang sundry goods such as rice, sugar, salt and food on a wall so that they could be reached should a flood hit us again,” she said, adding that her carpets had been rolled up against the walls as a precaution. “I dare not bring them down.”
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In stand-by mode: Amelia prepares for another flood by hanging up dry goods and groceries on the wall. |
“We have to make do with the damaged furniture as I do not want to risk spending money on new ones,” he said, adding that he feared for the safety of his wife and two children each time he went on business trips abroad.
Stationery and computer accessories shop operator Ameena Bi Mohd Yusoff, 33, still sheds tears when she recounts her loss in last year's flood.
“I lost about RM1mil. What is the point of talking about it now? I would have gone crazy if it was not for the backing of my family,” she said.
“The worse is not over yet,” she said. “The road outside my shop still floods each time it rains.”
TTDI Residents Association chairman Abdul Jabar Kasim said he had undergone training to handle pump houses.
“I have the keys to the pump houses so that the residents can have access to the premises should help not arrive on time,” he said.
State Infrastructure committee chairman Datuk Abdul Fatah Iskandar said the Selangor Government and the Drainage and Irrigation Department had spent about RM10mil on flood mitigation projects at Taman TTDI Jaya alone.
“We have created new retention ponds and the embankments on either side of the river have been raised by about a metre,” he said. “And, a new automated pump house is being built while the river is being widened and deepened.”
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