PROBE TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF KL FLASH FLOOD
Culprits will not be spared, says Wan Junaidi
INVESTIGATIONS have been launched at a development site to determine the cause of a flash flood that struck the Federal Highway on Monday as the authorities gave assurances that action would be taken against those responsible.
Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the culprits would not be spared if they were found to have flouted the Department of Environment’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) requirements.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall revealed that an investigation paper would be opened on a development project, believed to be the main cause of flash floods that caused traffic congestion on the highway linking Kuala Lumpur to Shah Alam.
According to a Bernama report, Mayor Tan Sri Mohd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz had said that clogged drains at a project site had caused the flood.
Wan Junaidi had ordered the probe and asked City Hall to identify whether the company had failed to comply with the EIA.
“Our probe has revealed that the project does not have a retention pond and debris trap. The pond is supposed to retain the mud and prevent it from flowing out of the construction site.
“Any development projects that have the sensitivity to implement the things I mentioned (retention pond and debris trap), must have passed the EIA,” he said at Dewan Rakyat.
Wan Junaidi added, however, if the project was approved before he took over as NRE minister in Aug 2015, the developer and contractor could have gotten away without the two EIA requirements.
He said the ministry had yet to determine the date the project was approved.
“When I took over, I implemented a new regulation (to include the debris trap and retention pond) for the EIA.
“But, if the project was approved before that, they could get away with not fulfilling the requirements.
“I hope City Hall will look into this and identify if the company had gone against their EIA.
“It is under their jurisdiction to investigate the matter and take action, but if the project was approved after Aug 2015 and if any environmental departments had demanded for the EIA implementation then both authorities can take action,” he said.
The terms of the EIA set by local councils to approve development projects, Wan Junaidi said, differed from one state to another, which was the reason he came up with the new regulations.
“We cannot enforce the new rules on ongoing projects that were approved earlier because laws cannot be applied retrospectively,” he said.
Downpour here in the late afternoon yesterday caused flash floods in a section of the Federal Highway near Bangsar South yesterday, triggering a massive traffic congestion.
Wan Junaidi reportedly said the flood was caused by a clogged drainage system at a nearby construction site, which led to an overflow of mud and debris on the highway.
He also said despite the heavy deluge, the rivers in the area were capable of taking the access water from the rainfall.