Residents of Kampung Paya Jaras Hilir are urging authorities to implement effective flood mitigation measures. — KAMARUL ARIFFIN/The Star.
FOUR floods in a year is just too much to bear for residents of Kampung Paya Jaras Hilir, Sungai Buloh in Selangor.
Village head Mohd Halid Mohamad Yusof said 1,000 households endured the most during the recent flood in October when river bunds along parts of Sungai Buloh and Sungai Kedondong broke, despite being repaired three times this year.
He said Jalan Rahidin 1 and Tempayan Mas in Kampung Paya Jaras were the most severely affected.
According to him, water from Kampung Paya Jaras Hulu, Kampung Paya Jaras Tengah and Kampung Paya Jaras Dalam had flowed into these areas, causing significant flooding.
Mohd Halid said contractors appointed by the authorities in the past had excavated the soil and repaired the drainage systems to manage water flow.
Villager Saice Sain claimed that the village’s drainage systems and river had been unable to handle excess water since the development of a township nearby.
He suggested that the river bank be reinforced with steel or concrete walls because earth and sand embankments eroded too quickly when river currents were strong.
He also suggested installing a pump system to redirect water to a nearby larger drain – similar to the systems in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam – and implementing an early warning system to alert villagers of dangerous water levels.
In the meantime, villagers have devised their own early warning system by monitoring Sungai Buloh KTM station nearby.
If they notice flooding at the station, the residents alert others via their WhatsApp group.
On Nov 27, five Paya Jaras Hilir families affected by the flood each received cash assistance of RM500 from Menteri Besar Selangor Incorporated (MBI) via Yayasan MBI.
