KUALA LUMPUR: Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has made a plea to the Malaysian public to be more civic minded and responsible when it comes to disposing rubbish as it creates a problem for drainage and irrigation of waterways and water catchment ponds, especially during the flood season.
"For example, at the Batu water catchment pond alone, the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) has to clear about 60 tonnes of rubbish each month from just this one water catchment pond.
"This comes at an estimated cost of about RM600,000 a year so that it does not obstruct and impede flood mitigation and relief efforts.
"All this waste and rubbish that clogs up water catchment ponds is one of the culprits that causes flash floods during the monsoon season, as it hinders the flow of water especially during heavy rainfall.
"I would like to make a plea to the public to be more responsible when it comes to rubbish and waste disposal so that it does not end up in our drains, waterways, rivers, streams, and ponds," he pleaded.
Tuan Ibrahim revealed that on an average, in a month there can be about 200mm-400mm of rainfall, but during bad weather and thunderstorms that take place come monsoon season, such as the one that caused flash floods in Pudu on Dec 17 last year, there was 142mm of rainfall in just four hours.
"Recently I watched a video of a lorry dumping gunny sacks of rubbish in a river somewhere in Johor if I'm not mistaken, and such an act really irked me. I cannot condone or forgive the culprit and have instructed the relevant authorities to take immediate action," he said.
He shared that he carried out inspections and visits to the Batu and Jinjang flood water catchment ponds and the Sungai Klang water basin centre (Pusat Lembangan Sungai Klang -PLSK) to check the readiness and preparedness of the DID in facing the impending northeast monsoon.
He noted that the Kuala Lumpur flood mitigation plan began back in 2007, and the main flood mitigation system for the city which is run and managed by the DID with a water catchment and diversion capacity for more than 75.5 million cubic meters of flood waters could fill 30,200 Olympic sized swimming pools.
"The Kuala Kumpur flood mitigation scheme specifically for the Sungai Klang basin involves the Sungai Klang, Sungai Ampang, Sungai Gombak, Sungai Batu, Sungai Jinjang and Sungai Kroh rivers.
"The components of this scheme encompass the Smart tunnel (Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel) which can accommodate up to three million cubic meters of floodwater to avert flooding for Jalan Tun Perak (Masjid Jamek), and the Sungai Klang basin management which can take up to seven million cubic meters of flood waters.
"Among the flood mitigation efforts and initiatives in place are the installation of 12 flap gates at critical locations along Sungai Batu and Sungai Gombak, servicing and maintenance of pump houses in Kampung Baru and Datuk Keramat areas, digging and dredging works to remove silt and sediments along main rivers and at 10 floodwater catchment ponds.
"We have also installed a flood warning system with siren warning public in Bahasa Malaysia that is audible up to a distance of one square kilometer radius at 33 flood prone areas and hotspots, where 24 are already up and running ahead of schedule, not to mention a 24-hour flood command centre," he said.
On the issue of widespread development being a possible cause of flash floods, Tuan Ibrahim stressed that if everyone is responsible, abides by the law and plays their part accordingly, then such a problem would not happen.
"The country needs development and progress to move forward, but it has to be done responsibly and strictly by the law.
"This means as an example, adhering to the need for an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) to be done before a project begins so that there is little or no damage to the surrounding environment."