Receding waters bring relief to Taman Sri Muda residents

The sluice gate at Taman Sri Muda in Shah Alam is back in operation, after electricity supply resumed and malfunctioned pump house components were fixed. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star

TAMAN Sri Muda residents in Shah Alam can finally get busy cleaning up now that floodwaters have mostly receded.

This was made possible through the use of additional water pumps while the sluice gate resumed operations.

“A total of 21 portable water pumps belonging to the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) in other states were brought in to pump stagnant floodwaters,” said DID Malaysia in a social media post.

Kota Kemuning assemblyman V. Ganabatirau said the water level had reduced enough for residents to return home to clean up and urged volunteers to help.

He added that if the water pumps at Taman Sri Muda had been repaired earlier, the impact of the floods in his constituency would have been less severe.

In October, Ganabatirau highlighted the urgent need for the water pumps to be repaired in anticipation of the monsoon season and following MetMalaysia’s warning that there would be heavy rainfall at year end.

“I don’t deny that this is a natural disaster, but there is a need for better planning as well as qualified professionals such as engineers and town planners (to ensure such incidents don’t recur),” said Ganabatirau in a phone interview.

“The water level reduced after the shaft in the sluice gate was repaired on Wednesday and portable water pumps were brought in, but we need more permanent solutions.”

Ganabatirau, who is also Selangor socio-economic development, social welfare and workers empowerment committee chairman, suggested that details on major infrastructure projects such as irrigation or roadworks be readily available.

“It’s not enough for project details to be posted on noticeboards.

“They should be announced so that people can give feedback on whether the project is necessary and monitor its progress,” he said.

On Wednesday, Selangor infrastructure and public amenities, agriculture modernisation and agro-based industry committee chairman Izham Hashim said the sluice gate was operational after the electricity supply resumed and the malfunctioned pump house components were fixed.

“The sluice gate prevents water from Sungai Klang from entering Taman Sri Muda’s main drainage during high tide,” he said in a statement.

“This particular structure has three doors that function automatically, but its operations depend on Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s electricity supply.

“The unusually high rainfall last weekend saw floods inundating 95% of Taman Sri Muda, which also affected the infrastructure system and cut off electricity supply at the sluice gate, pump house and flood reservoir.”

Izham said with no electricity supply, the sluice gates could not function properly.

He added that the high water level also prevented the pump house at the Taman Sri Muda Flood Reservoir from channelling the floodwaters.

The TNB power substation was submerged and as a result, four pumps, with a capacity of 2,000 litres per second, stopped functioning.