The exit route built by MBSA connects Taman Sri Lembayung to LKSA.
SOME 500 families and thousands living in the Taman Sri Lembayung neighbourhood in Shah Alam, Selangor, will benefit from an emergency road constructed to be used during floods.
Built by Shah Alam City Council (MBSA), the exit road connects Taman Sri Lembayung to the Kemuning-Shah Alam Highway (LKSA).
Located next to the Taman Sri Muda Shah Alam toll plaza, the exit road has a gate that is locked and will be opened only during an emergency.
The keys to the gate are held by the Shah Alam police, Shah Alam fire department, MBSA Pantas Unit, LKSA operator and the Smart Selangor Operation Centre.
Shah Alam mayor Datuk Mohd Fauzi Mohd Yatim officially presented the keys to representatives of the agencies and departments yesterday at the Taman Sri Muda Shah Alam toll carpark.
“We hope this disaster relief emergency exit will enable residents to quickly evacuate.
“Previously the residents relied on just one exit to leave the neighbourhood, so the new exit to the highway will be helpful,” he said.
(From left) Hanif, Supt Ramsay, Mohd Fauzi, Syed Azmi, Mohammed Ridzuan and Mohd Firdaus at the ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the disaster emergency exit route.
During disasters such as flash floods, Mohd Fauzi said there would also be no toll charges, to enable motorists to quickly evacuate to higher ground.
“During the major 2021 floods, over 1,000 vehicles belonging to the low-cost flats residents were stuck in the flood.
“Residents were unable to evacuate from their houses for four days.
“Aid was not able to be channelled to the victims during that period as the whole neighbourhood could not be accessed,” he added.
Construction of the RM79,000 alternative road started last October and was completed in February this year.
The project was made possible with a signing of a memorandum of understanding between Lintasan Kota Holdings Sdn Bhd (Prolintas) and MBSA.
On flood mitigation, Mohd Fauzi said the drainage system must always be clear of rubbish and dried leaves.
“We have rubbish traps installed in drains and rivers. When the traps are not cleared and maintained regularly, the water will rise and cause flash floods during downpours.”
He said the city council once found 25 pythons in a faulty drain that was not maintained.
“We also recently had a 2m-long crocodile in a lake in Shah Alam.
“The crocodile could have travelled from Sungai Klang, but it was strange that it did not get trapped in any of the rubbish traps.
“Some crocodile experts suspect it could have been released into the lake, based on its condition,” he added.
As MBSA would receive all public complaints in the event of flash floods or the presence of wildlife, Mohd Fauzi said these facilities needed to be maintained always, to avert disasters.
Also present at the key presentation were MBSA engineering director Hanif Basree Abdul Rahman, Shah Alam deputy OCPD Supt Ramsay Embol, Prolintas Managers Sdn Bhd board of director’s member Datuk Syed Azmi Syed Othman, Malaysian Highway Authority central region director Dr Mohammed Ridzuan Jahidin and MBSA councillor Mohd Firdaus Mokhtar.
