Sluice gates finally working, floodwaters to be drained faster

KLANG: The jammed sluice gates at the Taman Sri Muda pumphouse in Shah Alam is now operational again after a generator was brought to the site, says Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.

The area suffered a power outage after it was hit by floods.

He said the jammed sluice gate was repaired after Tenaga Nasional Bhd brought in a power generator.

“The sluice gates are operational again. Yesterday (Tuesday), MBSA (the Shah Alam City Council) and ATM (the Armed Forces) worked hard until 3am to move away the stalled cars that prevented the generator from being brought to the floodgate,” he said in a tweet yesterday.

He added that with the sluice gates operational, the floodwaters at the housing estate would now recede more quickly.

State executive councillor for infrastructure Izham Hashim said on Tuesday that the flood levels in Taman Sri Muda were receding at a slow rate because the sluice gate was jammed at the time.

Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad questioned why the sluice gates were not operational even if there was a power failure.

“Normally, the sluice gates should have a manual or hydraulic override to pump out water in the event of a power failure,” he said, adding that sluice gate systems should be able to function during power failures.

The Environment and Water Ministry also said the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) is working to pump out water from the area into the Klang River and about 30,000 cubic metres have been drained so far.

Meanwhile in Sepang, a number of horses were left to soak in floodwaters for two days until they were rescued by their owner.

Khairudin Abdul Rahman, 60, the owner of De Dengkil Stable & Arabian Stud Farm, said the flood last weekend also damaged his stable at the 0.4ha site.

The former agriculture technician, who has been operating the stable at Kampung Sri Tanjung, Dengkil since 2007, said the area had been hit by floods before.

But these floods were not as bad as that which occurred over the weekend, with his losses amounting to almost RM50,000.

“The water level rose gradually until up to 3m on Sunday. Nine of our horses were transferred to a trailer while three others, including a female foal, were placed in a horse float for temporary protection.

“The Royal Malaysia Police Horse Unit and Civil Defence Force Equine Brigade also extended help the same day in transferring the horses to higher land using motorised boats,” he said yesterday.

Seven of the horses, he added, had now been taken to his friend’s stable in Bandar Si Sendayan, Negri Sembilan, while five others have been temporarily placed at a goat pen in Dengkil.

According to Bernama, two of Khairudin’s horses sustained serious injuries on their legs and were given veterinary treatment.

The horses at De Dengkil Stable & Arabian Stud Farm are used for commercial purposes such as advertisements and horse carriage rental at certain events.

Khairudin said his daughter also uses the horses for therapy involving autistic children.