KUALA LUMPUR – In the wake of flash floods caused by clogged drains in Taman Sri Muda on Monday, KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd (KDEBWM) has guaranteed that rubbish from last month’s massive floods has been cleared.
Speaking to The Vibes, its managing director Ramli Mohd Tahir said the KDEBWM had cleared all debris and mud in drains from the Section 25 housing area early this month.
The second phase of the post-flood clean-up efforts is underway, he said, and is expected to be fully completed in three months.
We have cleaned the drains in the housing area, and in the second phase, we will focus on cleaning the drains surrounding houses where there is solid waste – wood, bottles and mud. We will clear them all.”
Once Phase Two is completed, KDEBWM will kick off the third phase, which will focus on improving and upgrading the drainage systems.
Acknowledging that Taman Sri Muda is an old residential area, Ramli said it is time to re-examine the drainage gradient that has been affected by soil movement.
“There are residents who have closed the drains near their houses and have installed pipe additions beneath those drains. This could cause rubbish to get trapped.
“Due to the floods and soil movement over the years, the drains have also been slightly dislocated, affecting its gradient.
With this defect, the water will not be able to flow out as easily as before and stay stagnant – posing high risks of flash floods.”
For the record, KDEBWM is a wholly owned subsidiary company of Menteri Besar Selangor Incorporated, which is under the state government.
The company has been involved in the clean-up works at flood-stricken areas in stages since December 20.
In collaboration with local councils and other agencies, it has collected 78,000 metric tonnes of solid waste as of January 7.
On Monday afternoon, steady rainfall had resulted in another flash flood in Taman Sri Muda.
Bringing attention to the situation, several netizens shared videos and images of water rising to ankle-level outside Valencia Apartments in Jalan Tokoh 25/8.
Previously, the Selangor Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) insisted that it is not to blame, as the incident was caused by rubbish in the secondary drainage system, especially at Jalan Tokoh, which has clogged up the drainage outlets.
While saying that the issue of clogged garbage in the drains has nothing to do with DID, its Klang district engineer Ganesan Balakrishnan said it is within the ambit of the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA).
However, when contacted by The Vibes, MBSA Corporate and Public Relations Division head Shahrin Ahmad said the drainage system in housing areas is under the purview of KDEBWM. – The Vibes, January 28, 2022
