RESIDENTS in flood-prone Taman Sri Muda in Shah Alam, Selangor, can rest a little easier now that three new screw pumps have been put into place since Aug 2.
State infrastructure and agricultural committee chairman Izham Hashim said the RM7.4mil project, under the Taman Sri Muda irrigation system upgrading works, would be five times more efficient than the existing three pumps in preventing floods.
“Each screw pump at the Taman Sri Muda Pump House has a capacity of pumping 1,700 litres of water per second, which means 5.1 cubic metres of water can be pumped per second in total.
“In addition, with the existing three pumps, a total of six cubic metres of water can be pumped out per second,” he explained.
Izham said this meant the pumps could divert the water faster and prevent floods more effectively.
“Another advantage of screw pumps is that they will not jam and get clogged by rubbish, and can operate for longer,” he said after launching the three new screw pumps.
Taman Sri Muda was among the worst affected areas in the December 2021 flood disaster that claimed more than 25 lives across Selangor.
(From left) Izham and Mohamad checking out the new screw pumps at Taman Sri Muda Pump House during the launch. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star
The floods, which followed two days of continuous rain, overwhelmed the existing pumps that were shut down after power supply was cut, resulting in water levels reaching over 4m high.
Several thousands of people were affected, and it took almost a week to pump out the floodwaters.
Also present at the launch yesterday were Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu who is Kota Raja MP, Kota Kemuning assemblyman S. Preakas and Selangor Drainage and Irrigation Department director Nasser Salim.
Nasser said apart from the screw pumps, the scope of the state-initiated project included the building of protection for the slope and banks, a Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) compact substation and staff quarters, as well as fixing the electrical switchboard.
“The project kicked off on July 1, 2021, and was supposed to be completed in 24 months.
“However, it faced delays due to the Covid-19 movement control order, damages due to major floods on Dec 18, 2021, changes to the TNB compact substation design, and various approval matters.
“The project was completed on May 26 (this year) and electricity supply was connected on Aug 2,” he said.
