Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has identified seven hotspots for critical flood mitigation works following several flash flood incidents in the city.
Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Zahri Samingon said these locations were in Taman Sri Manja, Taman Buana Perdana, Taman Dato Harun, Taman Medan Baru, Jalan PJS 10/11E, Gerai Jalan 223 and Jalan Selangor (Inai Merah Quarters).
“Based on our records, the floods that occurred on Nov 17 and Dec 30 last year were caused by a combination of extreme weather conditions, geographical features and a sudden rise in the water level of Sungai Klang which reached 12.93m compared to the normal level of 10.3m.
“High readings recorded on Dec 17 (138mm) and Feb 25 (113mm) clearly exceeded the design capacity of most existing urban drainage systems,” he said during the MBPJ full board meeting at its headquarters in Jalan Yong Shook Lin, Petaling Jaya.
Mohamad Zahri noted that while the current drainage system was functioning well, it required additional support to accelerate water outflow, especially for homes situated on lower ground.
“From an infrastructure standpoint, MBPJ does not compromise on engineering standards, having constructed on-site detention (OSD) systems designed to accommodate a high volume of surface runoff.
“Between 2022 and 2024, the city council allocated RM15mil to gradually develop river overflow control structures (Skalis) and OSD systems.
“Of the seven main outlets to Sungai Klang in the Taman Medan area, four strategic locations have been equipped with Skalis systems, whereby the flip gate mechanism has proven effective in preventing backflow of river water into the public drainage system.
“To address the issue of ‘static water’ during peak rainfall periods, MBPJ is now shifting towards mechanical solutions by installing high-powered pumps capable of pushing water into the river without waiting for river levels to subside naturally.”
He said MBPJ has outlined a pump installation schedule based on priority, involving Improvement Service Fund (ISF) allocations of RM1.2mil behind Sri Manja Court and RM2mil at Jalan PJS1/15 this year.
The project will continue next year at Flat Medan 32 and Jalan PJS3/56, with an estimated cost of RM1.2mil per location.
Mohamad Zahri said a site visit conducted on March 3 with strategic agencies such as Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), New Pantai Expressway (NPE) and the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) resulted in several immediate actions.
This included a study by NPE to raise the road level at the U-turn area and confirmation that the developer had completed cleaning and expansion works on the retention pond in early February.
Mohamad Zahri said the dam structure at Jalan Sri Manja would remain closed for Taman Buana Perdana residents’ safety while a proposal to raise the road level at Jalan Sri Manja by 60mm to 900mm was under further review.
“As part of ongoing preparedness measures, MBPJ has deployed mobile pumps and lorries at the Taman Sri Manja community hall, installed mobile CCTV systems and warning sirens for real-time water level monitoring,” the mayor added.
