(From third left) Mohd Zary, Dr Quah and MBDK councillor Ngain Yoke Mooi at the press conference.
SHORT-TERM solutions to address flash flooding in Bandar Bukit Raja in Klang have been implemented ahead of the Federal Government’s Flood Mitigation Plan (RTB).
Klang Royal City Council (MBDK) deputy mayor Mohd Zary Affendi Mohd Arif said a water pump and two temporary retention ponds were set up along Jalan Sumazau two weeks ago following a multi-agency effort to address the issue.
“Sime Darby Property Bhd has created two temporary retention ponds and installed a mobile water extraction pump in Jalan Sumazau that will divert rainwater from the road.
“Water from the retention pond will flow into the Straits of Malacca via Sungai Puloh,” he said in a press conference at MBDK headquarters.
Mohd Zary said SP Setia, with the help of Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) and Shah Alam City Council (MBSA), also helped with drainage maintenance in their areas to improve the flow of water into Sungai Puloh.
This, he added, was helping mitigate flash floods that had previously impeded traffic access over the past two weeks.
Agencies from Klang district such as the land office, Public Works Department, DID, property developers Sime Darby and SP Setia as well as MBSA and Bandar Baru Klang assemblyman Dr Quah Perng Fei were involved.
Mohd Zary clarified that the actions were part of ongoing efforts in the district and not a response to a memorandum sent by local residents to the Selangor Mentri Besar last Friday.
He said the temporary measures were part of a broader effort to deal with the bigger flooding problem affecting the entire Klang district, as RTB was in the pipeline.
“Sungai Puloh is one of the sites earmarked under RTB, which will hopefully solve flooding in Klang.
“We have also requested for water gates to be installed downstream along Sungai Puloh and upstream in Setia Alam to better control the flow of water through Klang.”
Mohd Zary added that more would be done to prevent floods in Klang, including facilitating drainage upgrading works at critical areas.
He said a number of illegal makeshift bridges, built above earth drains, were restricting the flow of water and hindering the upgrading process.
“Addressing this will take time, as the city council needs to work with the land office to have these structures removed.”
In addition, Klang was downstream of other areas, low-lying in some parts and faced the high tide phenomena from time to time, said Mohd Zary.
