Plans to resolve flood in the pipeline

Tonnes of plastic waste ended up at the Batu Retention pond after Kuala Lumpur was hit by flash floods in September.

FLASH floods are a year-round occurrence in Kuala Lumpur and mayor Datuk Mahadi Che Ngah is keen on resolving this long-standing issue.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) had mapped out 53 vulnerable flood hotspots as the city had been experiencing extraordinary rainfall, he said.

This year’s worst flash flood occurred on Sept 10 when 18 locations in Kuala Lumpur were badly hit, including Jalan

Gurney 5, Jalan Genting Kelang and the area surrounding Masjid Jamek.

Floodwaters from Sungai Klang and Sungai Gombak inundated the premises of the Masjid Jamek and the Sultan Abdul Samad building while some 100 families from Kampung Periuk in Kampung Baru were evacuated and placed in temporary relief centres.

In tabling its Budget 2021, Mahadi announced that RM130mil would be allocated as part of

the Flood Mitigation Masterplan 2017 measures with 23 projects to be implemented by DBKL.

The drainage system at the Sungai Besi LRT station and Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) will be upgraded at a cost of RM17mil while RM16mil is allocated to clean and maintain rivers.

A further RM6.5mil will be used to resolve flash flooding in hotspot areas in Jalan Hang Lekiu, Jalan Cheras and Sungai Toba in Segambut.

“We will also be using camera surveillance to monitor water levels in real time for the purpose of flood warnings.

“In addition, DBKL will use the ‘control water at source’ approach by making on-site detection tanks a requirement at development areas, ” said Mahadi.

DBKL plans to collaborate with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) under the Newton-Ungku Omar Fund to develop a weather forecast application called the Kuala Lumpur Multi-Hazard Platform which will warn people of possible thunderstorms three days in advance.