Part of the monsoon drain at Jalan Ali Budin in Kampung Giching, Sepang, where the bund has collapsed.
Residents of Kampung Giching, a century-old village in Sepang, are demanding a permanent solution from Selangor government after a river bund collapsed for the fifth time in six years.
The bund, constructed near a monsoon drain, measures 1.79km starting from Jalan Labohan Dagang-Nilai (a federal route) and ending at Sungai Labu.
According to village head Azlan Abd Rahman, the site most prone to collapse is a 200m stretch of Jalan Ali Budin, a service road beside the monsoon drain which acts as a tributary to Sungai Labu.
He said that while villagers had experienced floods since 1978, the situation became dire in 2009.
In 2021, the village was inundated six times, he said.
“The situation began to worsen in 2009, when floodwater levels rose to waist height.
In 2021, water rose to chest height and each time, homes located near the monsoon drain were flooded,” he said.
The bund collapsed three times during the September, October and December 2021 floods.
Following concerns by the village community management council over the sturdiness of the previous bunds, which were constructed out of compact soil and gabion walls, Selangor government approved RM700,000 for the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) to instal concrete sheet piles and stabilise the banks in late 2021.
Ilyas says he has contacted Sepang DID to facilitate repairs.
Work was completed in early 2022.
However, the infrastructure failed again last Nov 28.
This was followed by a second breach at an adjacent site on Jan 5, just as repairs were being finalised.
“A logical solution would be to reinforce the bund’s critical area, but this had not been done at the time of inspection.
“The parts that recently collapsed did not seem to have any visual defects,” said Azlan.
“Villagers are increasingly anxious following the bund breach, which directly threatens homes in the area,” he stressed.
Although residents have managed to cope with the frequent flooding by building lofts, floating rafts and timber brackets to hoist furniture, the death of a policeman who was swept away by strong currents at Klinik Desa Giching last November shows how grave the situation has become.
Sepang Municipal councillor Ilyas As-said Zaharuddin, who visited the site, confirmed that he had alerted the relevant state committees to the crisis.
“I have contacted the offices of Sepang DID and state infrastructure and agriculture committee.
“They are working to secure necessary funds to facilitate the repair of the second breach area as soon as possible,” said Ilyas.
Selangor infrastructure and agriculture committee chairman Datuk Izham Hashim said new technology known as “schematic precast system” from Indonesia would be used.
“We have implemented one project using the same technology to reinforce a bund at Bagan Pasir in Tanjung Karang and found it to be very effective.
“Work will start soon at Kampung Giching,” said Izham.
