Yee: Overflowing retention ponds contributed to the backflow of water.
KEPONG residents are calling for urgent government intervention after the town recently suffered its most severe flood that caused widespread damage.
Community activist Yee Poh Ping blamed two retention ponds, which overflowed, and insufficient infrastructure for the disaster that affected residences and businesses across 10 areas.
He said the closure of sluice gates, intended to protect the town, had worsened the situation.
Yee said water from the retention ponds in Sri Segambut and Taman Wahyu contributed to the backflow into residential areas, such as Jalan Antoi, during heavy rain on Aug 22.
“There is a lot of sand and stone that have collected inside the ponds and this has reduced the capacity,” he said.
“The current infrastructure is not capable of handlinh such extreme weather conditions.
The situation left many residents questioning the effectiveness of the current flood prevention measures.
Kepong Residents Association chairman Loh Kok Wai, 59, said some shopowners, many of whom suffered losses exceeding RM20,000, were severely affected.
“Floods are a common issue here, and we cannot sustain losses every time this happens.
“We need a proper solution and some form of compensation to help us recover,” said Loh.
A spokesperson from the Selangor Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) said the closure of the sluice gates was a standard procedure designed to prevent flooding in the town.
“The gates were closed to prevent worse flooding, but the rain was too heavy,” the spokesperson said.
The high volume of rainfall in a short span overwhelmed the system and prevented water from being diverted back to the retention pond in Taman Wahyu, he explained.
He said there were short-term measures in place, including the excavation of the two retention ponds to restore their original capacity.
However, Yee emphasised the need for long-term solutions.
“We need to raise the flood walls to prevent overflow, and deepen the culverts. Otherwise, we are just waiting for the next disaster,” he said.
