KL’s flash floods: will the nightmare ever end?

 

From Ashraf Abdullah

Do the authorities actually have a plan to prevent flash floods in Kuala Lumpur? That’s the question every city dweller is probably asking.

Flash floods in the Malaysian capital are no longer a rare occurrence. Their frequency has increased in recent times. On Oct 15, an early morning downpour brought the city to a standstill for several hours.

The floods even affected roads leading to Parliament, causing Dewan Rakyat proceedings to be delayed. A similar downpour the next day also left motorists stranded in many areas, including Jalan Parlimen.

Yet, we cannot help but wonder if the authorities are actually doing anything beyond short-term, band-aid fixes.

True, flash floods occur in other parts of the country too. But Kuala Lumpur is the heart of the nation’s economy. It cannot be crippled by floods on a regular basis. They cause millions of ringgit in damages, and threaten the lives and well-being of its residents.

The culprits? A combination of urbanisation, inadequate infrastructure and most glaringly, the failure of key government authorities to carry out their responsibilities effectively.

At the forefront of this issue are the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), the drainage and irrigation department (DID), and the housing and local government.

Tasked with managing the city’s flood mitigation efforts, these agencies have failed to address the growing crisis, leaving the city residents to face the devastating consequences. So, how did these bodies fall short, and where does the responsibility ultimately lie?

DBKL holds the primary responsibility for the management of the city’s urban planning and public works. With urbanisation continuing at a rapid pace, DBKL’s role has become even more critical in ensuring that the city’s infrastructure, particularly its drainage system, is capable of handling extreme weather conditions.

However, DBKL’s track record in flood prevention has been dismal. A significant factor behind this failure is the lack of forward-thinking urban planning. The city’s relentless expansion has led to the conversion of green spaces, which naturally absorb rainwater, into concrete jungles. These impervious surfaces prevent proper water absorption, causing excessive runoff that overwhelms the drainage systems during heavy downpours.

DBKL’s inability to enforce regulations on new developments has also contributed to the problem. Numerous projects, including high-rise buildings and residential complexes, have sprung up without sufficient drainage solutions or flood mitigation measures in place.

While these developments may contribute to Kuala Lumpur’s economy and the country’s coffers, they exacerbate the flood risks. Developers often flout guidelines, or seek waivers for certain conditions, while DBKL appears ineffective in holding them accountable.

Moreover, the existing drainage infrastructure in many parts of Kuala Lumpur is outdated and insufficient. Despite repeated promises from DBKL to upgrade these systems, progress has been slow, leading to frequent flash floods from torrential rain and during the monsoon season.

Perhaps, the newly minted mayor Maimunah Sharif should take a serious look at this.

Needless to say, DID also plays a vital role in flood management by overseeing the maintenance and improvement of the city’s rivers, drainage systems and water retention areas.

Given that flash floods are largely the result of overwhelmed drainage systems, DID holds a crucial responsibility to ensure Kuala Lumpur’s water management infrastructure is up to standard.

Unfortunately, DID is more reactive than proactive. Its flood mitigation efforts have often come too late, addressing damage instead of flood prevention.

While DID has undertaken some flood mitigation projects such as the construction of retention ponds and deepening of rivers, these efforts have been insufficient to handle the volume of rainwater that comes with increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, as evidenced in recent events.

Moreover, a lack of coordination between DID and other local authorities like DBKL has resulted in a fragmented approach to flood management.

While DID may be focused on specific water retention and drainage improvements, their work is undermined by poor urban planning and unchecked development overseen by DBKL.

Without a comprehensive and integrated approach, Kuala Lumpur’s flood management system remains ineffective.

Another key failure of DID lies in its maintenance of existing flood mitigation systems. For instance, retention ponds, designed to capture excess rainwater and prevent runoff, are often poorly maintained.

Over time, these ponds become clogged with silt and debris, reducing their capacity to mitigate flooding. Some require deepening. But despite this, DID has not taken adequate steps to ensure regular maintenance, leaving critical infrastructure in a deteriorating state.

On the other hand, the ministry plays a strategic role in setting national policies for urban development and flood management. It is responsible for ensuring that local authorities such as DBKL are equipped with the necessary guidelines, resources and oversight to implement effective flood mitigation measures.

One of the ministry’s critical failures lies in its inability to enforce national-level guidelines on sustainable urban planning. While the ministry has laid out frameworks for flood mitigation and climate-resilient development, these policies have not been adequately enforced at the local level.

There is a stark disconnect between the policies drafted at the national level and their implementation on the ground in Kuala Lumpur.

Over the years, the government has allocated billions of ringgit for flood prevention and mitigation measures. It allocated RM22 billion for this purpose in the 2024 budget alone. Whether these allocations are efficiently used, misused or are insufficient is anyone’s guess.

It is the responsibility of the ministry to oversee how these funds are being used by the local authorities, including DBKL. Local governments should be held accountable for these funds to ensure they are utilised efficiently and for the right purposes.

The failure to prevent flash floods in Kuala Lumpur is a result of systemic inefficiencies and lack of accountability across all three agencies. DBKL’s weak enforcement of urban planning regulations, DID’s poor maintenance of drainage infrastructure, and the ministry’s lack of oversight have all contributed to the problem.

But where should the buck stop?

Perhaps this question is best left to the MPs and ministers who found themselves stranded on Wednesday when roads to the Dewan Rakyat became temporarily inaccessible. - FMT

Ashraf Abdullah is a former group managing editor of television networks at Media Prima Bhd.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.