Fix root causes of flash floods

Cars submerged in muddy water at the Shah Alam Stadium after the recent downpour. — filepic

FLASH floods are becoming increasingly common in the Klang Valley and it seems that every time there is a downpour, several parts of the Klang Valley would be hit.

We should not blame the rain but instead look at the root causes of the flash floods.

The Meteorological Department has confirmed that the level of rainfall in the Klang Valley this week was normal and below the highest daily rainfall recorded previously.

However, there are a number of major construction projects in the Klang Valley and observation reveals that there is no proper drainage in most of these sites.

Although there is some form of drainage, the drains are either too small to accommodate large amounts of water during heavy rain or are clogged by construction debris and silt.

When there is no proper drainage or the drains are silted up and choked with debris and garbage, rainwater will overflow onto roads and low-lying areas during a downpour, giving rise to flash floods.

Early this week, flash floods brought traffic to a standstill in areas such as Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya and Shah Alam.

Dozens of cars were submerged and commuters had to wade through muddy water after the tracks at the Batu Tiga KTM Komuter station in Shah Alam were submerged.

Although most of the floodwaters receded several hours later, the next morning, employees in Shah Alam were caught in a traffic crawl as some of the roads were still flooded.

This caused a lot of inconvenience to motorists and commuters in the Klang Valley as well as residents in areas with poor drainage maintenance such as those in Bandar Puncak Alam, who had to be relocated following rising water in the area.

Besides the loss of productivity and business hours for employers, employees and business establishments, the damages from flash floods extended to property including furniture, vehicles and electrical items.

The impact from these damages is more pronounced on people in the lower-income group who are already facing hardship due to the increasing cost of living in the city.

Therefore, it is imperative that flash floods are taken seriously by the relevant authorities.

It is essential that proper and efficient drainage and retention ponds exist in flood-prone areas.

The drains in construction sites should be cleared regularly and maintained properly so that they can function effectively during heavy rain.

It is the responsibility of the local authorities to conduct regular checks on all construction sites, especially those for major infrastructure projects.

Given the serious implications of flash floods, local authorities should not hesitate to take action against project developers who fail to provide proper drainage or implement proper maintenance of the drainage in their construction sites.

Time is of the essence and we need to act now. This is not the quality of life that Klang Valley residents anticipate, especially when Malaysia is only five years shy of developed nation status.

LEE LAM THYE

Kuala Lumpur