Kajang council doing its best to unclog drains

The Star, Friday December 14, 2012

River of rubbish: A motorcyclist looking at a river filled with garbage after a downpour in TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam.

PETALING JAYA: The Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) is trying its best to clear the drains as quickly as possible during the current rainy spell to ensure that flash floods do not recur.

The latest flash flood which occurred in Country Heights in September served as a reminder that the area surrounding the town is flood-prone.

Kajang councillor Lee Learn Eng said the local authority had been pro-active in its flood preventive measures, including widening monsoon drains in housing areas.

“Realistically speaking, the council has been trying its best to widen and clear the drains but I don't think it is enough.

“Most of the old housing areas in Kajang have small drains, which often overflow due to rubbish clogging the drains,” he said.

Lee said there were still many drains to clean and many were not linked to Onside Stormwater Detention Ponds (OSDs).

“We are looking to install the OSDs in the drains but this is a long process. Some monsoon drains are not suitable for the OSDs but we are trying to explore other ways,” he said.

“Our efforts are not 100% effective but we are trying to do as much as possible,” he said.

He said the council understood the people's fear of flash floods.

“We need the cooperation of the public, especially in not dumping rubbish into the drains. We can do our part in cleaning the drains, even widening it but the people must also play their part,” he added.