Keeping floods away with simple actions

Recipe for disaster: Even in dry days, clogged drains will stop water from flowing into drainage channels, what more during heavy rain.

AFTER the floodwaters have receded, the victims in particular and the public in general public will usually pour their anger and frustration on the authorities. There will be demands for action to be taken by the authorities to prevent or at least mitigate the effects of future floods.

Obviously, money, resources and manpower are needed to prevent floods, which are getting quite frequent in some areas. Naturally, the resources will have to come from the government.

People seldom ask themselves what they can do to prevent floods. In fact, there are simple things they can do, and doing these would cost less compared to the losses incurred by flood damage.

For one, stop throwing rubbish indiscriminately especially in areas near rivers or drainage channels. All rubbish take time to decompose, and those that end up in rivers and drains will clog up these waterways. During heavy rain, the clogged river or drain won’t allow water to flow, causing floods to occur.

We must make sure that the drains in our neighbourhood are clean and free of debris at all times. Inform the local authorities if there is major blockage so that workers can come to clear it.

Do not cement or tile over your front porch or garden. Use grass block pavers, also known as turf block pavers or grow-through pavers, which have open cells that allow grass to grow between them. This feature allows rainwater to seep into the ground, preventing the water from flowing straight into drains. Flooding occurs when drains are unable to discharge the huge volume of water into the nearby rivers or ponds.

Go one better and leave part of your porch as a lawn with plants or even a tree. Those in corner lots, semi-D homes or bungalows should leave their garden area unpaved. For those living in condominiums or apartments that have outdoor visitor parking areas, get the management committee to use grass block pavers.

As we all know, the frequent and extreme floods nowadays are due to climate change and pollution. We can all help to mitigate climate change by consuming less, using public transport, practising the 8Rs of the sustainable circular economy (Rethink, Repair, Reuse, Reduce, Refuse, Recycle, Recover, Regift), planting trees, using less electricity, and supporting our local environmental NGO and environmental initiatives.

All the above actions would likely be within the physical and financial means of most people and can be done daily without much disruption to their normal routine.

KOO WEE HON

Petaling Jaya