Remember the flash floods that happened 2 weeks ago? Well, it was reported that the heavy rainfalls are expected to last till the end of 2016.
To help prevent potential flash floods, Federal Territories (DBKL) Deputy Minister Datuk Dr. J. Loga Bala Mohan said that RM92 million will be spent on upgrading Kuala Lumpur’s flash flood mitigation system. The large sum of money will be used to replace old pipings, install water pumps, build retention ponds, and road diversions.
“This includes RM5mil for an integrated traffic management system to better manage traffic during flash floods,” said Dr. Loga at the Dewan Rakyat Special Chambers on Tuesday (24th May).
Apparently, the city’s drainage system was unable to handle the amount of water that was caused by the downpour 2 weeks ago because the rainfall exceeded the retention capacity of 70mm.
Dr. Loga also added that a study is being carried out to determine the cause of the flash floods. As aforementioned, the president of the Institute of Engineers, Tan Yean Chin, said that clogged drain outlets is the cause of the flash floods.
In regards to damage compensations, he stated that DBKL will not be responsible for something that is “an act of god”. “There is a difference between negligence and an act of god. In this instance, it is an act of god as the extraordinary rain is not something which DBKL can control,” he told The Star.
On 12th May, a series of flash floods occurred in the city as a result from the heavy downpour. Several major roads were submerged including Jalan Pudu, Jalan Pantai Bahru, Jalan Semantan, and Jalan Bangsar which affected more than 100 vehicles.
Source: The Star, The Edge Markets.
