PETALING JAYA, March 2 — Petaling Jaya Mayor Dato' Mohamad Zahri Samingon will chair a high-level meeting on Wednesday (March 4) to seek a long-term solution to the recurring flash flood issue in Taman Buana Perdana.
This comes after heavy rainfall on Wednesday (February 25), which caused flooding in the residential area. The incident also caused traffic congestion on the New Pantai Expressway (NPE) and forced a nearby kindergarten to close temporarily.
The Star Metro reported him as saying that the 9am meeting will involve department heads and relevant stakeholders.
“We need to conduct a comprehensive assessment of this problem and find an effective solution,” Zahri said during the MBPJ full council meeting at its headquarters.
He added that officers have until Wednesday to gather the relevant data before the meeting.
During the meeting, MBPJ Councillor Norah Mansor voiced concern after floodwaters entered several houses, a community hall, and a kindergarten.
She said Tadika Sinar Merah had to be temporarily closed for cleaning.
“This is a serious safety issue,” Norah said.
She noted that among the identified causes were an ageing drainage system, inadequate maintenance, and a lack of open spaces for water absorption, and stressed that residents' construction of permanent drain covers has complicated maintenance and cleaning work.
During the floods, SJK(T) Vivekananda in Section 8 was also affected, with two special education classrooms sustaining damage as floodwaters rose to approximately 30 centimetres.
Its Parent-Teacher Association chairman Mohan Kumar said the situation may have been caused by strong water flow from Sungai Klang towards Jalan Templer, as the school is located on lower ground.
The Malaysian Highway Authority also reported flash flooding at the Taman Maju Jaya U-turn ramp near Jalan Kelang Lama at the time.
