HULU LANGAT: Every time it rains, the residents and management of Rumah Anak Yatim Dan Hidayah Al-Hijrah fear the consequences.
On Saturday following a heavy downpour, the orphanage at Jalan Felcra Semungkis in Kampung Sungai Gahal was struck by a flash flood for the second time.
The orphanage secretary Junaidi Jamaluddin said he believed the flash flood was due to the construction of a highway nearby, which had clogged drains with sand and sediment.
A retention pond built to mitigate flash floods after the first flooding incident in 2017 may not be effective, causing waters to gush into the orphanage and two nearby tahfiz schools as well as several homes in Kampung Felcra Semungkis.
Junaidi said the recent flash flood happened between 4pm and 4.30pm when the children were at the house.
“Fortunately, the children managed to salvage some of their belongings,” Junaidi told the New Straits Times today.
“I shudder to think what would have happened if the flood occurred in the early morning."
He said waters rose to knee level in just 10 minutes during the recent flooding.
“We saw the waters gushing in and it was very fast. The water was so forceful that even motorcycles were washed away and lorries were moved from their original positions.
The orphanage, which has been operating since 2012, is housed in a double storey building.
“Although the children’s dormitory is on the second floor, our library and office are on the ground floor. They are now badly damaged and covered in mud.
“We are constantly living in fear of floods. We thought the first flash flood was bad, but this was worse," he said.
Classes at the orphanage and the two tahfiz schools, involving close to 300 students, have been temporarily halted to make way for gotong royong to clean the premises and its surrounding areas.
Junaidi said many books from the library were currently being hung to dry under the sun, along with rolls of carpets and towels. Several damaged items such as office furniture had to be discarded.
He said the students were being helped by volunteers for the clean-up process and due to low water pressure, they relied on the nearby Sungai Gahal.
Kampung Felcra Semungkis is located some 5km away from the Batu 14.5 Hulu Langat main road and it was not easy for the authorities such as the Fire and Rescue Department to access.
Junaidi said the students were previously assured by the authorities, including the Malaysian Highway Authority and Works deputy minister Mohd Anuar Mohd Tahir that they would be spared from flash flood after the 2017 incident.
“There needs to be a more effective action plan by the authorities. We do not want to be worried when it rains,” said Junaidi.