The severe flood in Ipoh Garden East earlier this month.
RESIDENTS claim a clogged monsoon drain contributed to the flash flood on April 2 at Ipoh East Garden following heavy rain.
Marie Lee said people had been dumping rubbish into the monsoon drain along Persiaran Perajurit 1.
“The water flow is very slow, mainly because people throw rubbish into it.
“Some of them are residents, others are outsiders and they have been caught in the act several times too,” she said when met by StarMetro.
A small stream near Dataran Perajurit 11, which connects to the monsoon drain, is also polluted, she added.
“People discard garden waste directly into the stream and drains or dump them by the side.
“A neighbour recorded some of them doing so, including an individual who might possibly be a contractor or gardener,” Marie said.
The flash flood on April 2 occurred in the early evening, and residents said water rose to ankle high before receding by 8.30pm.
Following the incident, Ipoh City Council (MBI) is said to have cleaned the affected drain on April 4.
Marie hopes the city council will carry out regular cleaning, and instal “No Dumping” signs to deter people from throwing rubbish into the waterway.
A drain filled with overgrown bushes near Murali’s house at Jalan Perajurit 1.
Illegal dumping
Bill: People frequently dump rubbish into the stream.Bill Lee, who lives near Dataran Perajurit 11, also noted frequent rubbish dumping in the area.
“I have been living here for 37 years. People just come and throw their rubbish. I have captured it on camera too. It is a recurring issue,” he added.
Teresa Chan said water in the monsoon drain in front of her house was stagnant during the recent rain.
“I couldn’t tell if there was rubbish inside. Usually the water flows, but that day it didn’t.
“At around 2.30am, the water started to flow again,” she said.
Another resident, J. Murali, who lives on Jalan Perajurit, said he was surprised to see the main road flooded.
“Flooding had happened before, but this time it was much worse.
Murali: Monitor lizards spotted after the floods.“The water reached halfway into my porch, though it didn’t enter my house.
“There is another drain with overgrown bushes near my house where water overflowed.
“Some small drainage openings along the road are clogged with leaves and soil too, worsening the situation.
“We also saw a number of monitor lizards after the flood.
“I hope the city council can determine why it happened and come up with solutions,” he added.
Stella Steven said she was caught off-guard by the unusually high water level.
“I moved here in 1991 and this is the first time in a long while that my house was affected.
“It flooded here occasionally but it wouldn’t reach my house. This time, however, the water came into my porch,” she said.
Other flood-prone areas
In the Medan Ipoh commercial area, mechanic Lim Mun Kit said the floodwater almost reached knee-high.
“It hasn’t rained in a while, so I think the drains couldn’t cope with the sudden downpour,” he said.
Florist Kelly Eng also believes clogged drains made matters worse.
“I am not sure exactly which drains are clogged, but it is very smelly around here, especially near the restaurants,” she said.
“There are a lot of rats scurrying around,” she added.
When met, Ipoh Timur MP Howard Lee said the areas affected by floods included Ipoh Garden East, Ipoh Garden South and all the way to Sungai Senam.
Residents claim drainage openings along the road are clogged with leaves and soil.
“Illegal dumping is definitely an issue.
“But I think there are also some infrastructural issues that we need to address,” he said.
“When illegal dumping occurs, it causes a chain reaction upstream, leading to blockages that hinder water flow and contribute to flooding,” said Howard.
He said the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) and MBI were preparing a report.
“They are discussing where the rubbish accumulates, the choke points and what measures can be taken to prevent flooding,” he added.
