SELANGOR DID RECEIVES RM1.69 BILLION TO IMPLEMENT FIVE HIGH-PRIORITY FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS

SHAH ALAM, May 9 (Bernama) -- The federal government has allocated RM1.69 billion to the Selangor Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) to implement five high-priority flood mitigation projects in Klang, Petaling and Sepang districts.

Selangor DID director Nasser Salim said apart from the flood mitigation project, the department also implemented projects to stabilise and strengthen banks, upgrade drainage, and other projects related to the high tide phenomenon.

“As the implementation of long-term projects will take some time, the state government also channelled allocations to the state DID to implement medium and short-term projects, which will provide local solutions, especially involving flood hotspot areas,” he said, in a recent interview with the media.

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He emphasised that the cooperation between the federal, the Selangor government, and the state DID is crucial, especially for medium-term projects which focus on 79 hotspots where floods often occur, and 354 areas at risk of flooding in the state.

In terms of the monitoring carried out by DID on the drainage system, Nasser said to ensure that the drainage system is always functioning properly, the department takes immediate action to carry out repair or drainage work, based on complaints received.

He said that Selangor DID also supplied, among other things, 123 mobile water pump units for urgent works, such as in Meru, where there is stagnant water and the pumps will help speed up the flow of water out of villages or residential areas, directly to the river and sea.

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He also emphasised that several flood warning systems have been developed, including a siren system and sending information via SMS, to warn residents in the event of a flood.

“The department also conducts annual maintenance work, to ensure drainage capacity is at an optimal level before the Northeast Monsoon season," he said.

In the meantime, Nasser said that the identified causes of flooding were heavy rain, overflowing river water, the absence of a working drainage system, and the collision of heavy rain with high tides.

He said the state DID also took the best management measures in addressing the flood problem in Selangor, by requiring the construction of water catchments based on 100 ARI (Average Recurrence Interval) for each land development application.

He added that the catchment design should also be considered as a key parameter in the preparation of a detailed drainage master plan in areas involved in the proposed development.

-- BERNAMA