By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, Sept 10 — Selangor has proposed a RM5 billion water highway plan, which would connect waterways in Kuala Lumpur directly to Sungai Klang and flow directly to sea, to resolve flooding and water woes in the Klang Valley.
While details are being deliberated, the “highway”, similar to an aqueduct or a tunnel, is meant to channel excess water from the capital directly to sea, said state executive councillor for infrastructure and agriculture Izham Hashim.
The highway, which has been proposed to the federal government, will comprise several major drop points, primarily in the flood-prone lowlands in the valley.
“The idea is to channel all the water collected in Kuala Lumpur and bring it directly to sea so it won’t cause floods along major rivers in the Klang Valley.
“If there is any abnormality in water levels, such as during rainfall, it would carry the water straight to the sea,” he said.
Izham said the water highway, the diameter of which is expected to span 8m to 9m, will help resolve long-standing flooding in the Klang Valley.
“We can also use the highway to store excess water in reservoirs near the sea, which could be utilised during emergencies such as drought.”
The proposal, Izham said, was presented to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who is also energy transition and water transformation minister.
“We are pushing the proposal to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. This project is another game changer, but it must be executed correctly,” he said.
This article first appeared in the Selangor Journal September 2024 special edition, published on September 7, 2024.
