Flood mitigation works at Sungai Subang have attained only 18% completion instead of the projected 23%. — Filepic
THE main problem faced by the contractor carrying out the Sungai Subang flood mitigation project is the removal of illegally dumped rubbish, says Selangor infrastructure and agriculture committee chairman Izham Hashim.
“The contractor has to remove the rubbish before work can start.
“This rubbish can only be disposed of at designated landfills,” he said.
“So it takes additional time and cost on the contractor’s part to carry out rubbish clearing and disposal.”
He said this at the Selangor State Assembly sitting in reply to Datuk Dr Halim Tamuri (PN-Paya Jaras), who asked for the status of the Sungai Subang flood mitigation project.
The project is located at Kampung Kubu Gajah in the Sungai Buloh sub-district, within the Petaling district.
According to Izham, it costs RM7.318mil and comprises upgrading works and the construction of a drop structure.
“Construction for the project started last February.
“As of Oct 30, the project was at 18% completion, as opposed to the projected 23%, with the delay due to inclement weather.
“We are monitoring the project and taking the necessary measures to ensure there are no delays,” said Izham, who is Pandan Indah assemblyman.
Halim asked if the project would require additional time to be completed, as villagers were worried that delays would result in more flash floods in Kampung Kubu Gajah.
“The project will continue as scheduled and the contractor has not requested a time extension.
“We are confident the contractor will complete it on time,” said Izham at Bangunan Dewan Negeri Selangor in Shah Alam.
Separately, Datuk Harrison Hassan (PN-Jeram) asked about the status of the early disaster warning system outlined in the First Selangor Plan.
Selangor youth, sports and entrepreneurship committee chairman Mohd Najwan Halimi, who also oversees the disaster management portfolio, said the state Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) had hydrological stations throughout Selangor for flood monitoring, forecasting and warning purposes.
“The main hydrological stations comprise telemetry stations (rain and water levels), sirens, Internet protocol (IP) cameras and a national hydrological network,” he said.
“To obtain rainfall- and water-level data, telemetry stations have been built at strategic locations in all districts state-wide.
“To date, there are 146 rain telemetry stations, 28 water telemetry stations, 19 siren stations and 72 IP camera stations.
“These stations are all in good condition and ready to provide early warnings on possible flooding in hotspot and at-risk areas,” he added.
Mohd Najwan said DID also had a flood-warning prediction programme (PRAB) that was being implemented in two phases over a 10-year period, from 2015 to 2025.
“PRAB Phase 1 has been carried out at three river basins, namely Sungai Kelantan, Sungai Terengganu and Sungai Pahang.
“PRAB Phase 2 involves the development of flood prediction models in 38 river basins throughout Malaysia, including Selangor, Sabah and Sarawak.
“DID plans to expand the PRAB programme to more river basins under Phase 3,” he said.
Dr Gunarajah R. George (PH-Sentosa) asked if the relevant government agencies could provide post-incident reports on floods in specific locations, as he said residents wanted to know the rainfall level, tide level and other factors that contributed to floods in their areas.
“Departments such as DID and Meteorology usually issue early warnings to alert the public, but don’t issue post-incident reports,” said Mohd Najwan.
“I will pass on the suggestion to both departments to request for post-incident reports, so the public can get actual information on the source of the incident and how to handle it,” he added.
The Selangor state assembly sitting, which began on Nov 18, has been adjourned sine die.
