RM115mil flood mitigation projects in Shah Alam to start next month

SHAH Alam City Council (MBSA) has approved 37 flood mitigation projects that will cost RM115.3mil in total.

Shah Alam mayor Datuk Zamani Ahmad Mansor said the projects were under the Shah Alam Sustainable Urban Drainage Master Plan (SAsud) and would be rolled out in two phases in the next three years.

“The first phase involves 18 projects and costs RM63.3mil.

“The projects are set to start next month and complete next year.

“Projects in the first phase consist of places worst-hit by the floods in December last year, such as Taman Sri Muda, Stadium Shah Alam and Taman Mesra.

“The second phase comprising the remaining 19 projects will commence between 2023 and 2024, and will cost RM52mil,” he said at a press conference after the council’s monthly full board meeting.

MBSA Engineering Department acting director Hanif Basree Abdul Rahman said SAsud was prepared after a town hall session on April 14 that gathered feedback from 200 stakeholders, including assemblymen, members of Parliament, city councillors, representatives of government and private agencies, as well as the local communities.

Hanif said it would improve the drainage system to take more than thrice its current capacity.

“The drainage system will be improved to perform up to 100 ARI (Average Recurrence Interval).

“The current drainage system is designed to take on only 20 to 30 ARI.

“We will also instal water pumps in low-lying areas such as Taman Sri Muda, to complement the water pumps installed by the Drainage and Irrigation Department,” he said.

On another matter, Zamani said MBSA had selected Vista Alam Serviced Apartment in Section 14 for the Collaborative Action for Single-Use Plastic Prevention in Southeast Asia (CAP SEA) project, which began on June 15.

The CAP SEA project, by an agency under the German government, is aimed at reducing single-use plastic waste, with a focus on strategies for prevention and preparation for reuse.

The project here is a collaboration with Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre (MGTC), which selected Shah Alam as the pioneering city for the effort.

Zamani said the success of the project in Vista Alam would set the benchmark for similar implementation in other areas under MBSA’s jurisdiction.

“Vista Alam was chosen because of its demographic diversity and mixed development nature, perfect for a small-scale pilot project.

“There are 1,088 residential units comprising some 2,500 residents, and 135 commercial units are involved.

“They have been advised not to use single-use plastic bags, single-use plastic food and drink containers, as well as other single-use plastic items such as plastic gloves and aprons,” he said.

MBSA Solid Waste and General Cleaning Department director Mohd Azmi Amer Khan said they wanted to raise awareness and encourage people in Vista Alam to adopt a culture that did not use single-use plastics.

“We want to convert their behaviour slowly to environmentally-friendly alternatives, through advocacy,” he said.

He added that if successful, the model used might be emulated in other parts of the country too.