PM has directed DBKL to resolve flash floods immediately using existing resources - Shahidan

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

Without disclosing the amount of funds required, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim said the Prime Minister wanted, among others, to optimise DBKL's emergency fund for the purpose.

"The Prime Minister has instructed the Minister of Federal Territories to immediately spend the allocation from DBKL resources to solve the problem of flash floods (in the capital) and the government will reimburse it later," he said in a speech at the Nur Ramadan program last tonight.

Shahidan said the funds would be used for short-term and long-term planning, includingstudies and mitigation concepts for flash floods in Kuala Lumpur to minimise the impact of urbanisation on the environment and balance the social, economic and environmental impacts.

He said among the plans were to identify flood hotspots and existing drainage systems that did not have the capacity to channel rainwater, as well as formulate conceptual mitigation solutions for the hotspots.

"To conduct this study, DBKL has appointed IKRAM (Malaysian Public Works Institute) as a consultant. This study will take 12 months and involves five phases," he said.

According to him, among the short-term measures that would be taken includes placing a monitoring team at the hotspot location as well as placing a portable water pump at flood hotspots that serve to transfer excess stagnant water to suitable areas such as flood reservoir ponds.

Shahidan said among other short-term plans were the purchase of more portable pumps which would be implemented immediately, and the use of 'sand bags' as mitigation measures, besides placing 25 teams on the field to clean up the flood hotspots beginning tomorrow.

Shahidan said the long-term plan included building an underground On-Site Detention (OSD) to accommodate excess water when the 'Flap Gate' was closed as well as upgrading the existing drainage system involving eight projects, including at Jalan Jinjang, Sungai Kayu Ara, Sungai Toba and Segambut Dalam.

-- BERNAMA