URGENT drainage upgrades are being planned along Jalan Kuala Selangor-Kepong near the Sungai Buloh KTM station following recurring flash floods.
The route is also known as Federal Route 54 (FT54).
Damansara MP Gobind Singh Deo said rainwater from higher ground flowed towards FT54, passing beneath the railway tracks and road before entering the downstream drainage system that discharges into Sungai Gasi.
He said problems further downstream caused water to back up through the drainage system beneath the highway and spill onto the road.
The flooding, he said, posed a safety risk to motorists at peak hours while infrastructure beneath the railway tracks could also be affected.
“This is a safety issue that we need to resolve immediately,” he said during a site visit.
“We cannot wait one or two years because we do not know when heavy rain will occur, and we do not want a situation where there is damage or loss.”
In April, for example, Sungai Gasi overflowed following a downpour, inundating both sides of FT54 near the Sungai Buloh KTM station.
Floodwaters at the affected section beneath the New Klang Valley Expressway Sungai Buloh interchange reached 0.3m to 0.6m high.
Gobind said the existing drainage system was inadequate to handle the volume of water flowing through the area.
He said some drains were damaged, possibly due to pressure from the large volume of water, while signs of erosion were also visible.
He explained that flooding in the area was due to rainwater flowing into the drains from higher ground and overflow from Sungai Gasi.
According to Selangor Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) assistant director Muhammad Zakwan Fikri Mohd Hasnan, the department had carried out flood-wall works along Sungai Gasi, which had addressed flooding from the river at that section.
However, runoff from higher ground continues to cause flooding along FT54.
Gobind said proposals included upgrading the drainage system and constructing a temporary detention pond if required.
He said technical proposals were available, but responsibility for funding and carrying out the works had yet to be determined because several agencies had jurisdiction over the area.
He added that the agencies involved included Selangor DID, Petaling District Public Works Department and Railway Assets Corporation.
Gobind said he would arrange a meeting this week with the relevant agencies and Transport Ministry representatives to determine the short, medium and long-term measures required.
The meeting, he said, would also examine when works could begin, their costs and which agency would be responsible for implementation and funding.
He hoped to deliver a solution next week so that upgrading and repair works could proceed as soon as possible.
Gobind declined to offer an estimated cost, saying the figure could change depending on the final scope of works.
He said cleaning and other short-term measures were being carried out but would not resolve the underlying problem.
