AFTER the massive floods in Selangor last year, the state government is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that the situation is properly handled in future, Selangor executive councillor Izham Hashim said.

As the state braces for the monsoon season, he said, they are prepared to tackle any flood issues that may arise.

The state infrastructure and agriculture committee chairman said the state government has allocated RM57.95 million to ensure that there will be no more flooding in Taman Sri Muda, Hulu Langat and other areas.

“The state government has allocated the funds this year to the Selangor Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) to implement the projects,” he said.

“This is to secure the areas from flash floods.”

He said the state government has also set up a special committee under the Water Resources Assurance Scheme initiative to address issues in Taman Sri Muda and Hulu Langat – two of the worst affected areas during last December’s floods.

Izham said the committee comprises members from the DID, Lembaga Urus Air Selangor and other relevant agencies to coordinate flood mitigation works.

“The initial focus of this committee is to coordinate flood mitigation works involving allocations from the federal government, state government, local authorities and government subsidiaries in critical areas, followed by other areas,” he said.

Last year, unusually heavy rainfall before and over the weekend of December 17-18 caused massive flooding in Selangor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Perak and Pahang.

The floods claimed 54 lives and displaced more than 70,000 people.

Selangor, especially in the Taman Sri Muda and Shah Alam areas, was one of the worst-hit states.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob directed district disaster management committees to be immediately activated to coordinate response services at all disaster-prone areas in view of potential floods due to the northeast monsoon.

On August 26, Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said the authorities will carry out a flood simulation exercise with focus on improving the process of search-and-rescue operations.

He said the exercise will also involve the mobilising of the operations room and help room.

“During the previous floods, our search-and-rescue operations were a bit slow, but other processes were very much intact,” he said.

“So now we have learnt from that experience, like if floods occur, how to carry out search-and-rescue operations, how to sound the alarm and so on.”

127 flood zones in Selangor

Izham said the state has taken proactive measures, including rehabilitating water control structures, river dams, coastal defences, conserve ditches and rivers.

“Twenty-two projects have been completed and seven others are in the implementation stage,” he said.

Izham said up to August 31, there were 127 flood-prone areas in Selangor.

He said 20 hotspots have been identified where incidents of flooding have occurred more than once, which were in Kuala Selangor, Gombak, Klang, Hulu Langat, Sepang and Kuala Langat.

“The state will be holding simulation exercises this month to prepare for the floods,” he said.

“The exercises will focus on operational improvement and search and rescue, in addition to the process of opening the operations room and help room.

“This is because the state government took notice of the floods last year, where the search-and-rescue operations suffered little delay.”

He said following the floods last December and in March, the state has taken several immediate measures.

He said the DID has implemented 37 projects, costing RM39.675 million, which include dredging rivers and ponds and procurement of mobile pumps.

As for the warning system, he said, the National Flood Warning Forecasting Programme (PRAB) is in the works.

“It (PRAB) is able to forecast monsoon floods seven days in advance, warning of monsoon floods two days in advance, accuracy of water level forecast (+/- 0.5m) and flash flood forecast one to three hours earlier based on weather forecast data from the Malaysian Meteorological Department,” he said.

“PRAB is also able to issue warnings and announcements of monsoon floods from six hours to two days earlier to agencies, stakeholders and residents.”

Izham said the procurement of this programme started in September last year and is expected to be completed on March 31, 2024. – September 14, 2022.