KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has appointed a consultant to research and redesign the metropolis’s drains to enhance their capability to accommodate elevated rain water and stop flash floods.
Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim (pic) mentioned the appointed consultant has been instructed to put together the research inside 12 months primarily based on the common recurrence interval (ARI) of 200 by the Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID).
“This is a complete resolution to overcome floods, utilizing ARI 200 as a basis to redesign the capabilities of rivers and drains, together with roadside drains, in Kuala Lumpur,” he mentioned throughout the wind-up session of the movement debating the flash floods in Kuala Lumpur at the Dewan Rakyat sitting Wednesday (March 9).
Shahidan additionally defined that the flash floods on Tuesday (March 8) weren’t due to the failure of the six DID flood retention ponds in the Federal Territory, and that the ponds functioned at their varied capacities and operated in accordance to the set commonplace working procedures (SOP).
The six retention ponds in query are Batu retention pond in Batu; Nanyang retention pond (Jinjang); Batu 4½ retention pond (Jalan Klang Lama); Delima retention pond (Kepong); Taman Wahyu retention pond (Selayang); and Taman Desa retention pond (Seputeh).
He added that the Boyan flood retention pond in Sungai Bunus, Titiwangsa, was unable to accommodate the extraordinary quantity of rainfall, which exceeded the pond’s capability, inflicting an overflow to close by areas.
“The DID is conducting flood mitigation tasks in the Jalan Semarak Pulapol (Police Training Centre) and constructing a flood wall to keep away from a repeat incident,” he mentioned.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun had earlier handed a movement submitted by Fong Kui Lun (PH-Bukit Bintang) and Fahmi Fadzil (PH-Lembah Pantai) to debate the flash floods that hit Klang Valley at the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Datuk Mastura Mohd Yazid mentioned the authorities was reviewing all nationwide flood administration mechanisms, together with amending the definition of flash floods as a catastrophe, below the directions of the National Security Council.
She mentioned that the instructed restructuring of definition and evaluation of all flood-related points was needed as the incidents had been disasters confronted by Malaysians, and would assist make channelling help to victims simpler.
“Although flash floods should not designated as disasters (however) if below suggestions by district catastrophe committees and primarily based on the affect of the incidents (lives and property) and victims being required to evacuate to aid shelters, the channelling of help might be thought-about,” she added.
Besides that, Deputy Environment and Water Minister Datuk Mansor Othman admitted that there have been weaknesses in the catastrophe early warning system, particularly in figuring out the correct places of potential disasters, however the company concerned is bettering the system.
He mentioned that the DID was planning to improve the new catastrophe early warning system in river valleys throughout the nation, involving the current 516 sirens and 155 webcams and the set up of 361 new webcams with an allocation of RM160mil. – Bernama
by 
