PJ folk blame floods on clogged drains due to nearby development

Ham standing in his flooded house Monday evening.

HOUSEWIFE Esah Osman from Taman Buana Perdana in PJS3, Petaling Jaya, is livid that she has to again endure damage to her home due to flash floods.

Exhausted from clearing the mud from her home of four years on Monday night, she said it reminded her of the nightmare of the Dec 18 floods last year.

“My cabinets are damaged, again. The previous flood damaged my sofa, so I sent it for re-upholstering. Luckily I have not got it back yet.

“We are fed up with this constant problem. What is Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) doing to help us?

“I believe the flood happened because of the ongoing drainage problem in our area,” Esah, 64, told StarMetro.

Former private consultant engineer Naveen Pathmanathan, 47, a Taman Buana Perdana resident of 15 years, attributed the floods to two ongoing mixed developments in the neighbourhood.

He said any construction larger than two hectares must have a proper catchment plan, retention pond and silt trap. He claimed that this was not done here.

“The basic rule of engineering is to submit the earth works plan comprising these systems to prevent floods.

“The Dec 18 flood was a natural disaster, but this latest one after just two hours of rain is absurd.

“We are beyond frustrated because we estimate it will be at least RM15,000 that we have to fork out for repairs,” he said.

Naveen said the children’s playground would flood every time it rained heavily, turning it into a potential mosquito breeding ground and leaving behind a foul smell.

“What is MBPJ’s recovery plan for us? We want the city council to restudy the drainage and repair the playground,” he added.

Retiree Francis Ham, 67, who has lived in a single-storey terrace house in PJS1/54 for the past 26 years, said his home was once again hit by floods on Monday evening.

“During the Dec 18 floods, water was over 25cm high. I suffered RM27,000 in damaged items,” he said, and blamed a new development project about 100m away.

“All the monsoon drains in my area are filled with silt,” he said, adding that he and his wife were fearful whenever it rained.

Meanwhile, Shah Alam City Council (MBSA), in a statement, said victims affected by the floods in the Lanchong Jaya area were evacuated to a temporary flood relief centre at Dewan Kenanga in Section 28 on Monday night.

“Basic needs for flood victims were also provided by the relevant agencies. As of Tuesday noon, 177 flood victims from 46 families were housed in the hall.”

In the event of a disaster in the Shah Alam area, such as floods, fallen trees and landslides, the public can call the MBSA Pantas Team room at 03-5510 5811 (24 hours).