THE sheer volume of discarded flood-damaged items that now line the streets of Selangor’s worst-hit areas appears to be never-ending. 

In the 10 days since the devastating floods 15,000 tonnes of garbage have been collected, said Selangor local government, public transportation and new village development committee chairman Ng Sze Han.

However, after the waste is collected, more appears. Some people are unwilling to let go of prized possessions, trying to salvage them instead, before consigning them to the street. Another reason is haphazard dumping at the wrong collection points.

Ng told The Malaysian Insight he hoped waste could be cleared by the middle of January, adding that the 15,000-tonne figure is only an estimate, not including rubbish currently at transfer stations.

“In hard-hit areas such as Sri Muda and Sri Nanding, some people have had to throw out almost everything,” he said.

In other areas, such as Kinrara Seksyen 1, Puchong, where the water level did not rise as high, people have been trying to save whatever they can.

However, after allowing some possessions to dry, they have had to throw them out because they are ruined.

“Residents here are still putting out one piece of damaged furniture after another to dry.

“They are reluctant to throw it away and want to repair it or re-use the item again, including mattresses and sofas.

“However, when they find it still smells bad, they decide to discard it, adding to a continuous amount of waste to be collected,” Ng said.

New piles of solid waste also appear as some people have only just begun cleaning their flood-stricken homes after returning from evacuation shelters.

The Kinrara assemblyman urged people to take their solid waste, if they could, to 11 designated garbage transfer stations or landfill sites in Jeram, Kuala Selangor, and Tanjong Dua Belas in Kuala Langat.

“Do not dump it on the side of the road because this will hamper the progress of the post-disaster clean-up work.

“If you head directly to the right locations, you can reduce the local government workload and help solve the problem.

The state government is not charging any fees for transporting large amounts of post-flood garbage to the landfill site.

He also urged people not to burn flood-damaged waste, as this poses a hazard.

On December 27, the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department gave the same advice to the public after reports of fires set to piles of furniture and garbage. Two reports were lodged in Kapar, Klang, another flood-stricken area.

KDEB Waste Management is the state-appointed contractor for rubbish collection. It has a workforce of about 1,500 on daily duty and a fleet of 500 trucks.

“We have also received help from some companies who are lending us lorries to help with garbage collection,” Ng added.

Solid waste can be disposed of at the following locations managed by the municipal councils:

• Shah Alam City Hall: District 21 (Seksyen 21), District 34 (Seksyen 34), Kampung Lombong Pump (Kampung Lombong), and District 25 (Seksyen 25);

• Subang Jaya City Hall: Bukit Lanchong;

• Kajang City Council: Sungai Lui, Hulu Langat Batu 14, and Reserve Kubor (Nanding); and

• Sepang City Council: Taman Emas, Taman Lestari Mewah (Jenderam), and Salak Tinggi Business Park. – December 30, 2021.