The Star Newspaper reported on Wednesday April 26, 2006Projects to solve flood woes by 2020, says Azmi
UNCONTROLLED development may cause flash floods to occur in new areas in the Klang Valley despite the billions spent on flood alleviation programmes, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid said.
He said the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) project, construction of the Batu and Jinjang retention ponds, and the Klang River Flood Alleviation Programme would solve the problem of flash floods.
“However, development in water catchment areas, unplanned and uncontrolled development, and development in river reserve areas could cause flooding in new areas,” he said when winding up the debate on the Ninth Malaysia Plan.
Azmi said the projects should be able to solve the problem of flooding by 2020.
It's gonna rain again (it's now 3.45pm) and I am peering out the window next to my work desk. Dark clouds looming and birds flying (as if looking for shelter).
As usual, whenever it rains heavily continuously for more than 1 hour, the area near my office gets flooded. My office is situated at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, one of the main roads in Kay El (also known as Korek Lubang since there's so much digging here and there). At the end of the road, it meets up with Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Raja. Jalan Raja is where the Dataran Merdeka is and it was flooded like crazy a couple of years back (many lost their cars in the flood when the cars were parked in Dataran Merdeka's basement).As for Jalan Tun Perak, the Masjid Jamek LRT Station is located along this road. Most historians romantically associate the river next to Masjid Jamek as the site where Kay El was discovered and named. It was where Sungai Gombak and Sungai Klang met. Now, due to irreconcilable differences, both rivers blame each other when they have too much work to do during a downpour and start spilling out their guts onto the roads around it. Pedestrians have no choice but to walk bare footed with pants rolled up to show their hairy legs as they wade through the mess.
And the best (worst) thing is, we probably need to wait till 2020 before Sungai Gombak and Sungai Klang (and all their relatives) are reconciled to one another so that they can work harmoniously. That after spending billions of public fund trying to sort out "uncontrolled development". Why allow "uncontrolled development" in the first place? Who approved such projects? If it was not approved, why allow it to carry on till water sweeps through cars and houses get smashed up by landslides?
Meanwhile, I shall have to figure out all my different routes to get to church this evening in case it floods along the way.
