KUALA LUMPUR: Twenty vehicle owners, who suffered losses when their vehicles were submerged during the flash flood in Precinct 11, Putrajaya on Monday (Dec 9) will each get RM1,000 in assistance, says Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) said that Putrajaya Corporation would also establish a temporary car park, accommodating about 200 vehicles, as a short-term solution.
She has requested the corporation to complete this within two weeks.
"Furthermore, I have asked the Putrajaya Corporation to set up a warning system, involving the use of sirens and alerts to residents in the area to move their vehicles promptly.
"This can be achieved by employing the Internet of Things (IoT) where sensors will be installed in drainage maintenance compartments throughout Putrajaya to monitor the water level," she said in a Facebook post Monday.
Dr Zaliha was notified about the flash flood while on official duties in Labuan. This was the first flash flood in the area, attributed to rainfall three times the usual amount.
"Twenty vehicles were damaged due to this flash flood. The residential area is quite large, comprising about 2,500 houses with an estimated population of around 10,000 people," Dr Zaliha, who later visited the affected area, said.
She identified the cause of the flood as the impact of heavy rain upstream and rising water from Sungai Anak Gajah, which led to water overflow in low-lying areas and blocked water flow.
"The water flow in this residential area utilises a culvert system. Despite its vast area, the sudden heavy rain, under uncertain weather conditions, resulted in it being unable to accommodate the large volume of water flow," she explained.
In the long run, the ministry plans to collaborate with the Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID) to reassess the drainage system. If found inadequate, improvements will be made to prevent similar incidents.
Dr Zaliha expressed her hopes for the exploration of more advanced systems for new developments, such as the sponge city concept, on-site stormwater detention (OSD), or underground reservoirs.
However, she stressed that these would require careful study before being implemented as new development policies in Putrajaya. – Bernama
