SHAH ALAM: Selangor needs to upgrade and build more retention ponds and flood control pumping stations to prevent flooding in the state.
Selangor Disaster Management Unit head Ahmad Fairuz Mohd Yusof pointed out that besides climate change, human behaviour contributed to natural disasters, such as floods and flash floods.
“More pump stations need to be upgraded and built. Also, more retention ponds need to be built and maintained to store flood water.
“The city drainage system needs to be upgraded to compliment the drainage facility by the Drainage and Irrigation Department. All these efforts require financial funding,” he told the New Straits Times today.
Fairuz also said the Smart Selangor Command Centre played a pivotal role in disaster monitoring in the relevant areas.
“The centre monitors the weather parameter and data, analyses weather pattern and works out short- and long-term mitigation efforts.”
Fairuz said climate change was the main reason for natural disasters to occur, where the rain pattern was not same anymore in downstream area.
“Global warming also causes the sea level to rise. Human behaviour is also one of the contributing factors. There is too much waste in the drainage system and it is expensive to clean up and maintain.
“Proper development should be carried out and maintained to prevent rivers from becoming shallow.”
Despite adequate flood mitigation measures, flash floods occur several times in a year such as in Bandar Bukit Raja and Taman Maznah, Klang.
On Tuesday, flash floods hit some parts of Klang and Shah Alam in an early morning downpour, which left several locations here inundated by one-metre deep water, resulting in impassable roads and stranded motorists.
Among the affected areas were Bandar Bukit Raja, Taman Rasah and Padang Jawa.
Yesterday, the state legislative assembly was told Selangor had witnessed 870 cases of natural disasters in nine districts since last year (2016 to Oct 22, 2017).
Sementa assemblyman Dr Daroyah Alwi said the natural disasters included floods, flash floods, storms, landslides, peatland fires and fire incidents in forest reserves.
Klang topped the list with 185 cases, followed by Hulu Langat (142), Gombak (132), Petaling (106), Sabak Bernam (77), Hulu Selangor (72), Kuala Selangor (62), Kuala Langat (62) and Sepang (52).
Fairuz explained that Klang was located near the Melaka Straits, thus any changes to the sea level will affect the city directly.
“Klang is a very historical city, more than 100 years old, thus its more complicated to redesign the drainage system.
“Klang is also rich with peat soil that is very fertile for agriculture, hence any increase in temperature will dry up the upper level (of the soil) and easy to catch fire,” he added.