JB needs a new 100-year plan for drainage, says mayor

 

Parts of Johor Bahru suffered flash floods last week, with Larkin Idaman affected by a collapsed water outlet at a railway project. (Facebook pic)

JOHOR BAHRU: The city council here is looking into plans to deal with flash floods in the city, because the old drainage system and design could no longer accommodate the current rainfall density, according to the mayor, Noorazam Osman.

“The design of our drains is based on planning done 100 years ago, and cannot be applied to the current rainy conditions,” he said.

“The measurements were done according to a 100-year plan, and by right we should be calculating (planning) for the next 100 years,” he told reporters after inspecting improvements to Sungai Segget here today.

Noorazam said “hot spots” for flash floods in the city were Larkin, Jalan Tebrau, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and Stulang Darat.

Last week several areas in the city were inundated by flash floods following heavy rain for four hours.

The mayor said the areas in Larkin Idaman were also affected by a railway project in the nearby area because there was a collapse at the temporary water outlet that they built in the project area. “There was a backflow in the Larkin area and also Taman Suria,” he said. - FMT