The Star, Wednesday December 14, 2011

Traders in Kajang trying to mitigate losses after flash floods

IT HAS been 11 days since flash floods had hit Kajang town centre affecting businesses and damaging vehicles parked in several roads in the town.

For some traders, the recovery has been somewhat slow.

Some have tried to mitigate their losses by trying to clear their flood-damaged stock as fast as possible.

Forced to reduce: Shoe trader Lee Tee Khoon arranging his discounted shoes on display inside his shop. The shoes are priced cheaper now as they had been damaged in the flood waters.

 

Ken Lee Wai Hoon, who owns a telecommunications shop along Jalan Raja Haroun, said business had slowed down compared to the same period in the previous months.

“We are usually open at nights and on weekends, because most of our customers come at night to view our phones and services after they get off from work. But I reckon that after hearing about the flood and shop location, they are reluctant to visit,” said Lee.

Lee also said that some of his tenants had joked about lowering the rent as business was quite poor after the floods.

He added that he would think about it.

“For this month, it’s too late to reduce because the rent is collected at the beginning of the month, but perhaps in January. So far, we can still survive,” said Lee.

Other businesses have been more fortunate, such as Madras Jewellers, where damages were mainly limited to some furniture and gift boxes.

“We quickly shifted all the valuables into our safe. And the water was about 60cm high in our shop, so the damage was limited.

“None of our jewellery or gold was affected,” said a salesman, who only wished to be known as Pandidurai.

Pandidurai’s manager, who declined to be named, said for the first few days after the waters receded, business was slow, but now it was back to normal.

In Plaza Metro, Shahruddin Mohd Shariff, who owned a clothing and fabrics shop at Basement 1, said business was running as normal.

He said his shop had not been badly affected by the flood waters, and that he re-opened for business in the afternoon of the following day.

“Luckily we did not have a lot of merchandise on the floor, and the waters reached perhaps two to three centimetres at most. My daughter closed the shop early and we spent half the day cleaning out before re-opening.”

So now they have found the cause, hopefully they can do something to prevent this from ever happening. This is not rocket science (the solution) but only need those responsible to be hardworking and vigilant to avoid further flooding. The "tidak apa" attitute will again cause the same thing over again. So, please do your work!!!

Until the next time, cheers.

The Star, Thursday 7 December 2011

Cause of floods identified

GEORGE TOWN: An incomplete embankment along Sungai Jelok has been identified as one of the main causes of the floods in Kajang town last Friday.

 

Excessive rubbish in the river near Metro Kajang shopping complex also contributed to the flooding of Kajang town on Friday. Pic by Effendy Rashid

Senior  Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) officials, attending an international conference here, said construction of the remaining 200m embankment had been stalled due to the year-long relocation issue involving 21 traders in Kajang.

Once resolved, the DID would need six more months to complete the embankment.

The stalls are operating on temporary licences issued by the Kajang Municipal Council which will have to resolve the matter quickly.

DID director-general Datuk Ahmad Husaini said the downpour, two low bridges along Sungai Jelok, excessive rubbish, and the low soffit level (the clearance level for water to flow under the bridges) had aggravated the situation.

Ahmad said this at the third international conference on managing rivers in the 21st century organised by Universiti Sains Malaysia.
 DID Water Resources Management and Hydrology Division director Hanapi Mohamad Noor, who was also at the conference, said the completed embankment would mitigate flooding.

"Even if there is flooding there in future, it would not be as severe as the one last Friday," he said.

Fire and Rescue Department personnel rescued nine people, three of them senior citizens, during the floods.

The worst affected areas were Semenyih town, near the road to Bangi Lama, as well as parts of Kajang town, which included Pasar Besar Kajang, Jalan Sg Jelok, Jalan Kg Sg Kantan, Jalan Semenyih-Kajang, Jalan Kelapa, Jalan Bukit and Jalan Reko.

The Great Kajang Flood 70's (from kajangtown.blogspot.com)

I borrowed this article from kajangtown blog as I really like to see old pictures of Kajang and this is about the floods when I was young. Hope you don't mind, Low.

Until the next time, cheers

http://kajangtown.blogspot.com, Tuesday, April 29, 2008

The Great Kajang Flood 70's

On the morning of the Great Floods that happen in Kajang. Morgan Soo who reside in Kajang Town started taking photos of various places in Kajang Town. See if you can identify the various places.

                                                                Beside TNB Kajang

Jalan Mendaling - the Last Shop on left is "Sea Yea" Temple

This is the Jalan Sungai Chua outside the shop houses from Kajang Garden which has changed to Desa Bunga Raya. The new flyover is standing over this location.

Kg. Jambu, next to the Langat River is the first to be flooded.

"Sea Yea" Temple side view

Kg. Jambu, Sikh Temple beside the railway gate.

The railway bridge over Kajang river, those days its made of iron structure but now replace with concrete. Its location just behind Aked Mara building and TNB Kajang Jalan Reko.

The roundabout between Main Street and Suleiman Street, the old bazaar is on the right. Metro Plaza building is occupying this location.

LLN Kajang now TNB Kajang same location beside Aked Mara building

Railway bridge over Kajang River. Notice the bended railway line cause by the floods.

Kg. Jambu

Railway track towards Kuala Lumpur direction, Kg. Jambu should be on the right and Sg. Chua on the left.

Photo taken from the railway bridge, River View Garden opposite of the "Sea Yea" Temple (back of Jalan Mendaling).

Kajang Roundabout with the National Cinema at the rear. On the left is Chiam Kee Chicken Rice Shop which has moved to Medan Selera (beside Kajang Market). If you are turning from the back of Bank Islam as you approach the Kajang Market there is a bridge on the right and the right has an eatery shop is now the present Chiam Kee Chicken Rice Shop.

The old Kajang Market I believe the present location is the Aked Mara building.

Shell Station just in front of Foh Hup Bus Station (ceased operations) now occupy by Metro Plaza Kajang. This Shell Station has moved to Jalan Semenyih just in front Kajang High School (KHS school field)

Side view of Sin Swee Kee Motor Shop and on the right is MCA office (undergoing construction now)

Side view of "Sea Yea" Temple, the flooded front portion is now the Hockkien Temple.

The former IC department office location.

                     I believe the railway line between Sungai Chua and the Railway bridge.

The above photos is courtesy of Morgan Soo. If you have any idea on the above (Pictures 1-20) locations please post your comment. Meanwhile Morgan Soo will be providing the actual details and location. Well if you can remember the exact location please let us know.

DID: Rubbish in drain can cause floods (Kajang Flood)

So what, we have many people telling how it happened but very few doing something about this. No point after it happens then everyone visits the place and give their 2 sens worth opinion. 

Get to the point and blame who is responsible!!!!

What say you?

Until the next time, cheers.

The Star, Tuesday December 6, 2011

DID: Rubbish in drain can cause floods

PETALING JAYA: Do not throw rubbish into drains, rivers or roads as it can have a disastrous effect during the current rainy season.

Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) flood management division director Datuk Zainor Rahim Ibrahim said clogged drains and rubbish-filled rivers could increase the chances of flash floods as the water could not flow smoothly.

“When the water flow is not smooth, it causes rivers and drains to swell and overflow, especially during a downpour when there is an increase in the amount of water in a short time.

“Even littering out the car window has a negative impact as it can get stuck at a culvert,” he said.

The heavier rainfall during the current rainy season, Zainor said, could cause flash floods even in non low-lying areas, especially if drains and rivers were clogged.

Zainor Rahim, who visited Kajang yesterday after it was hit by flash floods, said initial findings showed that water flow in Sungai Jelok was constricted.

“The water was not flowing freely. There were some constrictions, including rubbish that clogged up water passage in the river and the town's drains,” he said, adding that the effects of development had played a part.

The Kajang town flash floods, which occurred after a three-hour downpour on Friday evening, caught many by surprise with water levels rising to as high as 1m in some areas.

Property and vehicles were damaged with some businesses reporting huge losses.

Several measures, he said, were being taken to improve the river flow and reduce the constrictions, including raising flood walls.

The DID has several flood mitigation measures in place to brace for the floods, including maintenance and an early warning system with sirens blazing in flood-prone areas.

The Star, Monday December 5, 2011

Kajang still recovering after flood damage

KUALA LUMPUR: Traders in Kajang are trying to recoup losses worth hundreds of thousands of ringgit after a six-hour clean-up of “the worst flood damage”.

Over the weekend, customers were seen carrying out their usual shopping with some buying flood-damaged goods at slashed prices.

Shoe businessman Lee Tee Khoon, 58, said his losses amounted to at least RM20,000 as the floodwaters soaked hundreds of pairs of school shoes he had ordered for the back-to-school season.

“Fortunately, it's the beginning of the month and the customers have enough to spend,” he said, adding that he had carted the remaining 4,000 pairs to a storeroom upstairs.

Sole searching: Lee checking damaged goods in the storeroom of his shop.
 

“Just in case there's another flood.”

Lee said he planned to sell the damaged shoes for between RM1 and RM5 after washing and drying them.

The municipal council has cleaned up the worst-hit streets of mud and sludge.

“Now, they must quickly clean up the drains or flooding will occur again,” Tee Khoon said.

Grocery store sales staff Azuawati Abdul Manan, who was washing some of the goods, said business was “slowly returning to normal” as customers started trickling in over the weekend.

“Our losses were around RM10,000,” she said.

“All the slippers, toys and shoes were washed away. We can't find them,” she added.

Deemed the worst floods since 1971, a three-hour downpour on Friday afternoon caused 1.5m high floodwaters to inundate the town.

Kajang assemblyman Lee Kim Sin said about 200 people had worked to clean up the streets from 11pm Saturday night to 5am the next morning.

“We cleared the streets of debris and I would say around 90% of the streets are back to normal. Clean-up efforts are still ongoing,” he added.

“We will begin resurfacing the damaged roads in the coming months,” Lee said, adding that the flood was due to an excessive amount of rainfall between 80mm and 100mm.

“Further widening of Sungai Jelok will be carried out next year.”

Roads in Kajang sealed tonight for cleanup work

The Malaysian Insider, Saturday, December 3 2011

Roads in Kajang sealed tonight for cleanup work

KAJANG, Dec 3 — Several roads will be closed tonight to enable Kajang Municipal Council workers to clean up the town following last night’s flash flood.

They will be assisted by about 100 volunteers, said Kajang assemblyman Lee Kim Sin.

Yesterday, council workers were busy clearing the streets of river sediment late into the night using heavy machinery.

A three-hour-long downpour from about 3pm yesterday flooded the town.

Floodwaters gushed into homes and shops, stranding many people at shopping complexes such as Plaza Metro.

The badly affected areas were Jalan Bukit, Jalan Sulaiman, Jalan Raja Haroun, Jalan Tun Abdul Aziz and Jalan Jelok Tiga.

In some places, the water level was as high as 1.5m.

The flood left a trail of damaged vehicles, homes and shophouses. No fatalities or injuries were report.

The flood also halted train services into the town.

Lee said flood mitigation projects were implemented in 2008 which included widening Sungai Jelok and channelling water to Sungai Langat as well as building flood retaining walls 1.5m high.

However, yesterday’s heavy rain caused the water in Sungai Jelok and Sungai Langat to overflow their banks.

Lee estimated the damage from the flood at RM3 million. He said those affected should report to the council.

Today, Lee, state executive councillor Ronnie Liu and Hulu Langat MP Dr Che Rosli Che Mat distributed food items, donated by Econsave, to more than 50 affected households in Jalan Cheras.

Lee said the flood was the worst since the big flood in 1971.

Pandemonium as floods hit Kajang

The Malaysian Insider, Friday, December 2011

Pandemonium as floods hit Kajang

An aerial view of the flood today. — Photo from Facebook

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — Kajang was submerged under floodwaters after hours of torrential rain this afternoon, sweeping cars aside and bringing the town to a standstill. 

Streets in the township began to flood over from 3pm and water gushed into shopping centres like Plaza Metro, and even into shops and restaurants including the local McDonald’s.

Floodwaters reached past car wing mirrors and most people in town were stranded in their buildings.

“The water was rushing by and we could only watch cars drift by. This is the worst flood here since the 1971,” Kajang assemblyman Lee Kim Sin said referring to the floods that killed 32 in the Klang Valley 40 years ago.

Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) was also forced to stop train services into the township.

Partially submerged cars. — www.ericyong77.com pic

Residents have been posting photos and videos on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, telling others not to travel into Kajang until floodwaters subside.

 

A video posted on Facebook showed a woman standing on top of a van desperately waiting to be rescued from the rushing waters.

People on the first floor of a nearby building finally lowered a ladder onto the roof of the van so that she could clamber to safety.

Another video showed workers in a shopping centre rushing to save goods from the ground floor by passing them on to others standing on an escalator.

The flash flood hit the town at around 3pm after heavy rains caused a nearby river to break its banks.

Lee said at 6pm, floodwaters had subsided enough for cars to move.

Sunday Star, December 4, 2011

Traders in Kajang slash prices

KAJANG: Traders in Kajang began slashing prices to get rid of goods damaged in the floods that swept the town while many residents spent a tiring day cleaning up their homes.

A store owner in Jalan Bukit here, which was one of the worst hit areas, decided to sell his goods at half price.

“The floods have come. Take anything you want for half its price,” he announced as customers swarmed the shop to find goods ranging from clothes, blankets, curtains to electrical items, that were still usable.

The trader said he wanted to get rid of all his goods and get new ones.

Damaged items: Employees of a gift shop laying out merchandise to dry in Kajang yesterday.

 

Magazines and books, which had been soaked by the floodwaters, were also being sold for a fraction of their original prices.

A three-hour downpour flooded the Klang Valley town on Friday night and brought the national capital to a traffic standstill.

Floodwaters gushed into the homes and shops in the township, stranding many people at shoppers' favourites like Plaza Metro and catching some off guard in their vehicles as strong currents swirled around them.

The manager of a jewellery store, Shanmugam Veerapan, 44, estimated losses of up to RM50,000.

Meanwhile, the manager of a restaurant here said most of the outlet's utensils had been swept away by floodwaters.

Kajang municipal councillor Lee Kee Hiong said the floods were the worst to hit the town since the major flood of 1971.

Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Rashid Abdul Wahab said police received 18 reports on the loss of belongings and valuables.

He, however, added that no injuries were reported during the flood.

The Star Online, Saturday December 3, 2011 

Kajang cleans up after floods

KAJANG: Traders embarked on a major clean-up Saturday following the flash floods that hit the town centre following a downpour on Friday.

They said the floods caught them and residents by surprise and many were unable to save their belongings and goods.

A check by Bernama showed that only several telecommunication and eateries were open.

A goldsmith who introduced himself as Chau, 52, said flood waters rose in just a matter of minutes, catching them off-guard.

"I've been conducting business here since 17 years ago and although there had been rain and floods in the past, we never expected that the flood could be this bad," he said, estimating his losses to reach up to RM40,000.

A worker at a convenience store, Siti Hamira, 21, said the floods damaged a large amount of new stocks as well as those on display.

"There was simply no time to save them," she said.

A worker at a telecommunications shop said the clean-up would be carried out in stages.

"Although we are still cleaning up the shop, we open it for business today (Saturday) because we don't want to suffer further losses," he said.

Kajang Municipal Council workers were also busy cleaning up the road and towing stalled vehicles and motorcycles.

Kajang assemblyman Lee Kim Sin said flood mitigation projects were implemented in 2008, which included widening Sungai Jelok and channelling water to Sungai Langat as well as building flood retaining walls measuring 1.5-metre high.

However, the rainfall was too high, causing the water at Sungai Jelok and Sungai Langat to overflow, he said. - Bernama

The Star, Saturday December 3, 2011

Residents in Kajang caught unawares by downpour, KL also not spared

KUALA LUMPUR: A three-hour-long downpour flooded the Klang Valley town of Kajang while bringing the national capital to a traffic standstill. 

 

Floodwaters gushed into the homes and shops in the township, stranding many people at shoppers' favourites such as Plaza Metro.

Some were caught off guard in their vehicles as strong currents swirled around them. Cars in the basement of the shopping complex were submerged.

Taxi drivers pushing their vehicles through floodwaters. In some areas, the water level rose to as high as 1.5m. The floods damaged vehicles, homes and shophouses.

 

The badly affected areas in the township were Jalan Bukit, Jalan Sulaiman, Jalan Raja Haroun, Jalan Tun Abdul Aziz and Jalan Jelok Tiga.

In some places, the water level was as high as 1.5m.

The rain started at about 3pm.

About two hours later, it became a drizzle, and the floodwaters receded to leave a trail of damaged vehicles, homes and shophouses.

Nine people, including three senior citizens, were plucked to safety late in the evening.

Parked vehicles stranded in flash floods which hit Kajang town after the downpour yesterday.

 

Over in Kuala Lumpur, motorists were stuck in a massive gridlock along the New Klang Valley Expressway, Elite, Kesas and Kajang highways.

In a dramatic scene caught on video and uploaded onto YouTube, several people rescued a woman trapped on top of a van amid the havoc in Kajang.

They lowered a ladder onto the roof of the vehicle and hauled her up.

 

To safety: A video grab from YouTube showing people helping a stranded woman reach higher ground in Kajang yesterday.

 

Another video showed staff of a shopping centre desperately moving merchandise to higher floors.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director Mohamad Sani Harul said several people trapped at home were brought to safety.

“They were from Kampung Sungai Kantan and Jalan Kelapa,” he said.

Sani said the department received a distress call at about 3.50pm and arrived at the scene 10 minutes later with a team of 14 firemen from stations in Kajang and Cheras.

Kajang Fire and Rescue Department station chief Ariff Mohd Kassim said heavy rain caused Sungai Jelok and Sungai Kantan to overflow and submerge areas around the Kajang market.

The flash floods also halted KTM train services into the town.

Kajang assemblyman Lee Kim Sin was quoted as saying that the natural disaster was the worst since the big flood in 1971.

Kajang Municipal Council workers were busy clearing the streets of river sediment late into the night using heavy machinery.

Damage to vehicles and businesses was estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of ringgit.

Kajang folk in shock over ‘worst ever floods’

The New Straits Times, Saturday, 3 December 2011

Kajang folk in shock over ‘worst ever floods’

Residents claim they have never experienced such a wet, wet spell

A sales assistant at a shoe shop in Kajang looking at the damage caused by the flash floods in Kajang. Pixs by Rosdan Wahid

Workers at Plaza Metro in Kajang struggling to drain the building’s underground car park yesterday.

RESIDENTS here, still recovering from the unprecedented floods on Friday, are describing the downpour as the heaviest they have ever seen.

 

A Kajang resident, who  identified himself as David, 43, said he had lived in Kajang for 35 years and had never seen such heavy rainfall.

“I don’t think it was a drainage problem or the fact that the river is located near the town. It’s just a matter of nature overwhelming infrastructure,” he said.

Ee Ken Nee, 27, a medical sales consultant on the way to Kajang to see a client, decided to stop his car, due to the pounding rain, minutes away from the flood stricken area.

“I stopped my car because my sixth sense told me that it would get worse, though I had passed through the town earlier at  4pm. It was flooded then, but passable.” \

He said:   “I wanted to leave Kajang as soon as possible and later I heard that the river had overflowed and  submerged most of the town”.

Ee said that it was  at Jalan Sg Chua where he saw the early signs of how disastrous the flood was going to become:  several Perodua Kancil cars were stranded  on the road.

“Many cars  had slowed down. We could see the river overflowing. It happened in a matter of minutes. I felt like I was in a movie scene. It was surreal,” he said, adding that he was lucky not to have been stranded.

A Bata shoe shop owner, Suhaida Abdul Sukur, said she couldn’t estimate her losses until her insurance agent had  assessed it.

“I didn’t expect the water to rise so high so quickly,” she said.

The waist high water trapped nine people, three of them senior citizens, who were rescued by personnel from the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department.

The worst affected areas were Semenyih town, near the road to Bangi Lama, as well as parts of Kajang town, which included  Pasar Besar Kajang, Jalan Sg Jelok, Jalan Kg Sg Kantan, Jalan Semenyih-Kajang, Jalan Kelapa, Jalan Bukit and Jalan Reko.