Deepening works for Sungai Batu likely to wrap up this month

DID contractors carrying out the river embankment works at Sungai Batu behind SM Sains Seri Puteri.

WORKS to deepen Sungai Batu near Jalan Kolam Air, Segambut in Kuala Lumpur, are expected to be concluded this month with nearby residents hoping this will bring an end to their flood woes.

The works along an 800m stretch of the river also involve building an embankment at a section behind SM Sains Seri Puteri.

The project by the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) was carried out following complaints by residents whose homes were affected by floods last December.

The residents said the river cut through the Jalan Kolam Air housing area and the adjacent Kampung Kasipillay and the water would overflow into their homes.

Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh said the river upgrade was decided following a meeting involving her office, the residents and DID officials.

“The department will also build an early warning station nearby to alert residents when the water level in the river reaches a certain point.

“A site visit involving residents will be arranged after the construction is completed, to give them an overview of how the station works,” she added.

Yeoh, who visited the site with DID officials, said works to clear undergrowth in Kampung Kasipillay were also ongoing.

The area was among 25 flooding hotspots identified by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) in its Flood Mitigation Action Plan 2022.

Kolam Air Residents Association chairman Jeffrey Ng, in thanking the authorities, hoped that the flood mitigation project could be expedited.

“This area is inundated at least once a year and residents get worried each time it rains.

“During the Dec 18 downpour, many homes were inundated in knee-deep water, while some were completely submerged,” he said.

On a related matter, Yeoh urged Finance Ministry to allocate more money to DID in Budget 2023 for flood mitigation works.

“The downpour last December was described as unusual, as rainfall on that one day was equal to the amount usually recorded in a month.

“However, this is the new environmental norm which the authorities must now expect and be prepared for in their future plans.

“Maintenance of flood mitigation assets and work to deepen rivers and ponds must also be stepped up,” she said.

On May 9, DBKL unveiled a series of short-term measures worth RM10mil to tackle flash floods in the capital city.

These included upgrading scupper drains, placing sandbags along riverbanks, desilting retention ponds and building new sump pumps.

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim announced on April 27 that the Federal Government would refund the amount spent by DBKL for the measures to tackle flash floods in the city.