KUALA LUMPUR: Most flash floods that occur in the country are attributed to sanitation issues such as clogged drains and drainage systems, according to Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu. She emphasized the need for increased public awareness at the community level to collaboratively address the issue of flash floods.
“It provides a wake-up call… like the recent flooding problems occurring in Kuala Lumpur, where the real issue is clogged drains. So, if we can increase public awareness on the importance of cleanliness, that would be great,” Aiman Athirah stated during a question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today. She was responding to a supplementary question posed by Wan Razali Wan Nor (PN-Kuantan) regarding the Ministry of Housing and Local Government’s (KPKT) long-term planning in collaboration with various relevant government agencies to resolve the flood issue.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, in response to Wan Razali’s question about whether KPKT was
prepared to implement a drainage system or water diversion technology similar to that used in Japan to address flash floods, Aiman Athirah said the matter is under consideration. “It costs quite a lot of money, but that’s okay because that is something we pay attention to from time to time to improve our work in dealing with the problem of flash floods,” she remarked.
To enhance the effectiveness of flash flood management, Aiman Athirah noted that the government had allocated funds to local authorities (PBT) nationwide to upgrade existing drainage systems in areas identified as flood “hotspots.” She mentioned that these efforts include projects to maintain flood reservoirs and drainage systems, with costs amounting to RM50 million and RM20 million respectively for this year.