Plan to deepen, widen Sungai Klang takes off

SELANGOR government has kicked off a five-year Sungai Klang flood mitigation project at an estimated cost of RM700mil.

Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the project, which had been delayed for several years, involved deepening the river by between 2m and 3m, widening it as well as reinforcing the riverbanks and bund constructions.

“The project will be done on the entire 56km stretch of Sungai Klang from the Kuala Lumpur border. The stretch will be divided into four blocks.

“Works on Block 1 and 3 will be done first, covering about a 10km stretch near Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam which is a flood hotspot.

“We believe by deepening the river, it will lower the risk of flooding.

“Even if flooding happens, it will not be as bad as it was in December last year,” he said at the project launch at the Block 3 operations site in Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam.

Also present was state infrastructure and public amenities, agriculture modernisation and agro-based industry committee chairman Izham Hashim and Kota Kemuning assemblyman V. Ganabatirau.

For Sungai Damansara, which is connected to Sungai Klang, Amirudin said the river had been included in the RM4.6bil federal flood mitigation project for next year.

He also said that the state was prepared to face any weather adversities as a result of heavy rains forecast due to the northeast monsoon.

“In terms of preparation, we have over 16,000 personnel, 15,000 vehicles and machinery at hand, with the Fire and Rescue Department to coordinate flood relief efforts in the state.

“The local authorities are actively clearing the irrigation system to ensure that the risk of flooding will be minimised,” he elaborated.

The Sungai Klang flood mitigation project is managed by Menteri Besar Incorporated via its subsidiary Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd.

According to Landasan Lumayan’s project fact sheet, once completed, the river capacity is expected to increase by 40%.

It was stated that the project would also improve water quality by removing contaminants that had settled over the decades due to chemical spills, sewage accumulation, build-up of decayed plant life and stormwater run-off.

It was also stated that the project would result in the removal of large volumes of rubbish beneath the Sungai Klang riverbed accumulated over long periods.

The improved water quality would result in healthier aquatic ecosystems, which would lead to more suitable habitat for riverine vegetation, fish and other wildlife.