Repeated floods test Selangor's mitigation plans as residents count losses

 

For Nur Atilia Elina Rosli, 24, the latest flash floods in Kampung Melayu Subang meant another round of cleaning up her home, replacing damaged belongings and worrying about the safety of her two young children.

Her frustration reflects the plight of residents in Sungai Buloh, where repeated flash floods have damaged hundreds of homes in recent weeks, even as major flood mitigation projects remain years away from completion.

Media Selangor reported that Nur Atilia was feeding her four-month-old baby when heavy rain sent floodwaters rushing into her home on Monday, leaving her waiting for her husband to return before she could evacuate.

"The rain was very heavy, and I barely had time to save our belongings. Many things were damaged, including the television, refrigerator, mattress, and stove. The estimated losses exceed RM10,000.

"We hope for an immediate solution to ease our burden. We've already experienced four floods this year. Must we face the same situation every month?” the state media outlet quoted her as saying yesterday.

Flood in Section 13 in Shah Alam

The situation worsened early today when another round of heavy rain caused a bridge in Sungai Buloh to collapse, cutting off access to more than 4,500 homes.

Flash floods also inundated major roads in Shah Alam, disrupting morning traffic and forcing the closure of several highway stretches, including parts of the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE).

Homes flooded, motorists stranded

According to Sungai Buloh MP R Ramanan, the area has experienced four flash floods in about a month, affecting nearly 550 homes and more than 1,000 residents.

Monday's flooding alone affected at least 92 homes in Kampung Melayu Subang, including properties along Lorong Merbau, Jalan Cengal, Jalan Resak, and Jalan Jati.

Rainfall measuring 116.5mm within approximately an hour caused rivers to overflow, with floodwaters reaching up to one metre in residential areas.

Another resident, Yaman Buyar, 69, who has lived along Jalan Merbau for more than 30 years, described the latest floods as among the worst he had experienced in two decades.

"Floods were not this frequent before, but this year, they have become more common,” he told Media Selangor, recalling how floodwaters rose to waist level within an hour and forced him to be rescued by boat from his home, approximately 200m from the river.

Bernama reported that flash floods early today affected several locations in Shah Alam, including Section 13, Section 22 and Setia Alam.

Plus Malaysia reported that flooding at KM9.1 of the NKVE forced the closure of all lanes in both directions between Shah Alam and Subang.

Motorists heading north from Bukit Raja were diverted towards the Setia Alam toll plaza, while southbound traffic from Subang was redirected to the North-South Expressway Central Link (Elite).

Access from the Guthrie Corridor Expressway towards the Shah Alam toll plaza was also affected.

The Malaysian Highway Authority later reported that floodwaters had begun receding, allowing the reopening of the right and middle northbound lanes at the Shah Alam interchange.

Access cut off

In Sungai Buloh, the bridge along Jalan Kubu Gajah, spanning Sungai Subang, collapsed at about 2am today following heavy rain and rising river levels.

According to Bernama, the Petaling district Public Works Department said strong currents had eroded the riverbanks near the bridge, severing the main route connecting Kampung Kubu Gajah and Paya Jaras Hilir.

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said the state government would install a temporary Bailey bridge measuring approximately 35m to restore access to more than 4,500 homes.

"It will take between two and three weeks to construct,” Media Selangor quoted him as saying today.

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari (in red shirt) checking out the collapsed bridge at Jalan Kubu Gajah, Sungai Subang

Amirudin said construction of a permanent replacement bridge, estimated to cost RM20 million, was expected to begin early next year and could take up to two years.

He explained that although flood mitigation works along Sungai Subang had been completed, the existing bridge had become a bottleneck after the river was widened to approximately 40m.

This obstructed water flow during heavy rain, contributing to flooding and the structure’s eventual collapse.

Immediate measures promised

State infrastructure executive councillor Izham Hashim said the government would raise sections of the Sungai Pelempas embankments by between 0.5m and 1m to prevent floodwaters from overflowing into Kampung Melayu Subang.

The works, covering several hundred metres of riverbank, are estimated to cost less than RM1 million.

Izham said the proposal would be brought to the state executive council tomorrow (Nov 5) for approval, stressing that residents could not be expected to wait years for long-term flood mitigation projects.

"The main quick-win measure is to raise the embankments," he told Media Selangor.

According to Bernama, Ramanan also announced that the federal government is considering an RM12 million temporary retention pond to reduce the impact of recurring floods.

The proposed measure would complement the ongoing Sungai Buloh and Sungai Damansara flood mitigation projects, with a combined federal allocation of nearly RM700 million.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who visited flood victims at Dewan Siantan in Kampung Melayu Subang yesterday, also directed authorities to expedite flood mitigation works, including river widening, dredging and the construction of additional retention ponds.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visited flood victims in Kampung Melayu Subang yesterday

More rain ahead

Separately, Izham said Selangor had allocated an additional RM70 million for 255 immediate flood mitigation projects across the state, of which 177, or nearly 70 percent, had been completed.

The projects include installing water pumps, clearing drainage systems, and repairing riverbanks, while more than 160 larger flood mitigation projects worth over RM4 billion are being implemented in stages.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department has warned that extreme rainfall exceeding 100mm could continue across the Klang Valley every afternoon until this weekend.

Its director-general, Hisham Anip, attributed the downpours to high atmospheric moisture and relatively weak easterly winds associated with the northeast monsoon.

The warning raises the prospect of further flooding for residents still cleaning up their homes, even as authorities race to implement temporary measures before longer-term mitigation projects are completed. - Mkini