By Sheeda Fathil
KLANG, July 17 — The Selangor government has allocated RM7.3 million for the construction of a retention pond in Taman Mutiara Bukit Raja here, aimed at mitigating the risk of flooding in the surrounding areas.
State executive councillor for infrastructure and public facilities Izham Hashim said the project, which covers an area of two hectares, commenced earlier this month and is expected to be completed within two years.
He expressed hope that the project would put to bed the issue of flooding that has persisted in the area since 2000.
“The decision to construct a retention pond was made after I conducted an assessment during the recent major floods. Since there is none (retention pond) there now, we decided it is appropriate to build one.
“This project will not only benefit over 1,000 residents in the area, but also the authorities and users of the nearby highway. It is part of our various flood management initiatives,” he said after the groundbreaking ceremony near Taman Mutiara Bukit Raja located adjacent to the Shapadu Highway, today.
Izham said the 1.7 meter deep retention pond will have the capacity to hold up to 7 cubic meters per second of water, and that the water will be gradually released to address flash flood issues.
The retention pond is deemed crucial due to the low-lying location, which has caused persistent flooding in the past.
Izham said the four existing water pumps previously installed by the Klang Municipal Council are not capable of handling heavy downpours.
With the presence of the retention pond, rainwater can now be stored and gradually released into the drainage system using the pumps, and the water will then flow into Sungai Kapar Kecil and subsequently into the Klang River, explained Izham.
The pond can accommodate rainfall of up to 100 millimeters (mm). Based on previous studies, the rainfall in the area ranges from 80 to 90mm.
Izham said retention ponds have become a necessity in Selangor to address flash flood issues resulting from rapid urbanisation, adding that upgrading the drainage system would be too challenging due to the high costs involved.
Meanwhile, Izham said the state government is planning to establish conditions for the provision of retention ponds and rainwater tanks in several new project areas to address the issue of flash floods.
