KUALA LUMPUR: East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE) concessionaire, EKVE Sdn Bhd has denied that the recent flash floods in Kampung Lembah Jaya Utara and the surrounding areas of Ampang were caused by the highway construction project.
The company in a statement today said the flash floods were caused by heavy rainfall which had resulted in Sungai Ampang water levels rising sharply and overflowing into low-lying areas.
"The rainfall readings obtained at Bukit Antarabangsa and Puncak Atheneum showed rainfall density readings of between 144mm and 138mm, respectively.
"Such a reading is considered higher than the usual volume of rainfall and the continuous downpour which lasted about three hours made the situation worse in the affected areas," it said.
It added that the heavy rain caused water levels in Sungai Ampang to exceed the danger level and that the water level readings were also reflected on the Drainage and Irrigation Department's (DID) Flood Info website at 7.30pm on Monday.
It was reported that the overflow of Sungai Ampang had caused many low-lying areas including main roads to be inundated around the Ampang and Hulu Langat areas.
"The flash floods could also be triggered by the annual Northeast monsoon season, as concurred by the Selangor State Secretary's Office Disaster Management Unit in a statement on Nov 17. Even so, EKVE did take immediate steps to provide immediate assistance to flood victims in the area at the time and after the water subsided," it said.
EKVE said it had deployed teams to help those affected including cleaning up the post-flood mess as well as providing any necessary aid based on the victims' needs.
The statement added that the project contractor had always ensured the implementation of the silt erosion control system at the site was maintained and improved from time to time in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
"The only remaining construction work is the bridge, retaining wall, road surface, pavement and construction of the toll plaza building.
"All the earthworks on the site have been completed," it said, adding that relevant agencies also regularly conducted spot checks at the construction site to monitor the implementation of safety measures at the project site.
EKVE said the progress of construction work on the site had reached 95 per cent in October and the construction of the highway was expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year, by which time it would be fully operational.
Yesterday, Ampang member of parliament Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin said a landslide from the nearby EKVE project into Sungai Ampang had caused the river to become shallow.
She alleged that the river could not handle the large quantity of runoff water, which was why it overflowed and caused mud floods in the nearby area.
She said this to reporters after visiting the Lembah Permai Apartment temporary evacuation centre and affected villages Tuesday afternoon.