FINANCIAL constraints and extraordinary rainfall conditions this year have caused delays in certain flood mitigation projects by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), says Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah.
The Kuala Lumpur mayor said financial constraints are one of the reasons DBKL was unable to fully carry out the proposed flood mitigation projects highlighted under the Kuala Lumpur City Rainwater Management Drainage System Master Plan (Master Plan).
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"Parts of the flood mitigation works under the proposed plan are completed, while others have not.
"The report prepared by the National Audit Department highlighted the findings, especially the projects that are supposed to be delivered based on the research done by DBKL appointed consultants in 2017, who came out with solutions to address not only flash floods but also improve the irrigation system in the whole of Kuala Lumpur.
"However, we found that the rainfall condition now is far more than what we have studied then.
"The extraordinary amount of rainfall has caused a new issue for us and we have to relook into the data," he said during a tree planting campaign at Intan Baiduri Flood Retention Pond in Kuala Lumpur.
Mahadi was responding to The Star report on DBKL’s flood mitigation measures (2018-2022) under the master plan which have yet to achieve their objectives, according to the Auditor-General’s Report 2021 Series 1.
The report noted that three projects amounting to RM27.68mil did not comply with procurement principles and that only 11.1% of 18 proposed short-term flood mitigation measures have been completed.
The audit covered two main areas, namely programme performance and programme management, for the period from 2016 to March 2022.
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https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/08/03/pac-to-probe-dbkl-flood-mitigation-measures
Mahadi added that following the high volume of rainfall detected this year, DBKL had initiated several measures immediately to address flash floods in the city.
"In April, I came out with a statement that we had prepared a flash flood mitigation plan for this year and there is a list of actions to be done for short term, medium term to long term.
"We are also in the process of appointing a consultant to detail medium and long term flood mitigation measures based on the new rainfall data that we received.
"For example, we received three months’ worth of expected rainfall in a day or a day and a half, so we have to check the irrigation system again to support such volume in the future.
"Despite the report stating that the projects are not completed, this does not mean we are not doing anything.
"The initiatives that we had done could possibly be part of the proposed projects of the master plan," he said.
