Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Zahri Samingon will chair a high-level meeting on Wednesday to find a permanent solution to the recurring flash flood issue in Taman Buana Perdana.
This follows a downpour on Feb 25 that flooded the Petaling Jaya neighbourhood, causing a traffic gridlock on the New Pantai Expressway (NPE) and forcing the closure of a kindergarten in the area.
Mohamad Zahri said the session would involve department heads and relevant stakeholders.
“The meeting will be at 9am. We have to conduct an impactful assessment of this problem and have a solution,” he said, adding that officers had been given until Wednesday to gather the necessary data.
Mohamad Zahri said this during the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) full board meeting held yesterday at MBPJ’s headquarters in Jalan Yong Shook Lin.
During the meeting, councillor Norah Mansor said floodwaters had entered houses, a community hall and a kindergarten.
“Tadika Sinar Merah had to close the following day for cleaning works to be carried out.
“This is a serious safety issue,” she said.
Norah said the flooding was caused by an ageing drainage system, poor maintenance and a lack of open spaces such as fields for water absorption.
She pointed out that many residents had built permanent drain covers that cannot be removed, making them hard to access for cleaning works.
“Enforcement must be strict to prevent people from building permanent drain covers.
“Waste management companies have been cooperative and quick to respond, but we need to be firm with those who break the rules (installing permanent drain covers),” said Norah.
She also recommended that MBPJ check the area’s drainage system, schedule regular maintenance and assess existing drain capacity.
The heavy rain on Feb 25 also affected SJK (T) Vivekananda in Section 8, damaging cupboards and books in two special needs classrooms.
The school’s Parent-Teacher Association chairman Mohan Kumar said the deluge could have been caused by the heavy flow of water from Sungai Klang into Jalan Templer.
He said the school, which sits on lower ground, saw floodwaters rise to about 30cm.
“We previously raised the school field by 43cm, but it was still affected this time around,” said Mohan.
The Malaysian Highway Authority also reported flash floods at the Taman Maju Jaya U-turn, near Jalan Kelang Lama, during the same Feb 25 incident.
