Use existing funds to address flash floods, City Hall told

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has instructed Kuala Lumpur City Hall to use its existing resources immediately to overcome the problem of flash floods in the capital.

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim said the prime minister wanted, among others, to optimise City Hall’s emergency fund for the purpose.

Shahidan added that Ismail Sabri had said the government would reimburse the amount utilised.

He was speaking at a Nur Ramadan programme yesterday.

He said the funds would be used for short as well as long-term planning, including studies and mitigation concepts to address flash floods in the capital.

Shahidan added that plans would include identification of flood hotspots and existing drainage systems that do not have the capacity to channel rainwater.

“City Hall has appointed the Public Works Institute as a consultant for the study, which will take 12 months, involving five phases.”

He also said among the short-term measures that would be taken are placing monitoring teams at hotspots and using portable water pumps to transfer excess stagnant water to flood reservoir ponds and other suitable areas.

He added that more portable pumps would be bought and the use of sand bags would be implemented, while 25 teams would help to clean up flooded areas immediately.

Shahidan said a long-term plan would involve building an underground on-site facility to accommodate excess water and upgrading existing drainage systems involving eight projects, which include Jalan Jinjang, Sungai Kayu Ara, Sungai Toba and Segambut Dalam. – Bernama