Tuesday June 12, 2007
DID: SMART would have averted floods
KUALA LUMPUR: Had it been ready, the RM1.9bil Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel Project (SMART) would have prevented Sunday’s floods that inundated the city centre.
Drainage and Irrigation Department deputy director Ahmad Fuad said the floods around Dataran Merdeka and Masid Jamek were caused by Sungai Kelang bursting its banks at the confluence of Sungai Gombak.
“A storm which causes the river to overflow – that is exactly what the SMART flood tunnel is being built to overcome,” he said at a press conference organised by Kuala Lumpur City Hall here yesterday.
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Rubbish removal: Alam Flora employee Sharizan Othman removing debris from the bridge at Jalan Munshi Abdullah in Kuala Lumpur |
The road portion of SMART was opened to traffic but the floodwater diversion component will only be operational next month.
Excess water would be held at a retention pond in Kampung Berembang in Ampang and channelled into the tunnel, which will release the water into a deep pond near Tanan Danau Desa.
This would prevent the excess water flowing downstream to the Masjid Jamek area in the city centre.
At the same press conference, Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Ab Hakim Borhan said City Hall was working on some short- and long-term plans to resolve the flash flood problem.
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Dirty job: The sidewalks near Campbell Complex in Jalan Dang Wangi need some serious cleaning. |
Ab Hakim said that there were also plans to build 18 more water retention ponds.
“We currently have 10 located in areas like Taman Billion, 4˝ mile Jalan Kelang Lama, near University Malaya and in Taman Intan Baiduri,” he said.
He added that City Hall would carry out major maintenance work to clean up the 16 rubbish traps located in the outskirts of the city.
Early flood warning sirens have been installed in Kampung Baru, Dataran Merdeka, Jalan Tun Razak, Dang Wangi, Kg Periuk and Jalan Munshi Abdullah to give sufficient time for people to remove their cars and property to higher ground, he said.
Related Stories:
Traders bemoan losses, thousands start mopping up 
SMART toll set at RM2
PM also wants flood alleviation projects completed fast
PM: Speed up mitigation work
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