SHAH ALAM, July 1 — More flood retention ponds will be permanently protected from any disposals or any proposed future development in efforts to mitigate flash floods in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
Berita Harian reported that Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territory) Hannah Yeoh said the proposed plan will be discussed between the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) special task force and the state government.
“We need to discuss with the Selangor government to build more flood retention ponds that will not be sold but rather protected to ensure the future of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor,” she said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Yeoh was responding to Klang MP Ganabatirau Veraman’s supplementary query on how the government can provide assurance that critical flood mitigation areas would no longer be sacrificed for development.
She added that 16 on-site detention (OSD) ponds are being built to reduce the risk of flash floods, with nine of them now fully completed.
The other five OSD ponds are expected to be completed within three years; two are currently under construction.
“The private sector, developers, and DBKL are also required to construct OSDs to retain rainwater.
“Currently, we have 65 OSDs developed by developers to address flash flood issues in Kuala Lumpur,” Yeoh said.
The minister noted that DBKL has specified that planning permission applications for retention pond areas in Kuala Lumpur will not be approved until the technical terms set by the Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID) and other agencies are met.
This specification serves as a control measure against procedural violations.
“DBKL will improve governance and development compliance regulations related to flood mitigation infrastructure.
“This is to ensure implementation and compliance with the conditions and technical requirements set under the Earthworks Plan Guidelines and Engineering Plan Guidelines effectively.
“DBKL will also empower cooperation and coordination between agencies to ensure flood mitigation infrastructure assets are managed, maintained, and preserved well and remain functional,” she said.
There are currently 28 retention ponds, with 13 under DBKL supervision and 15 managed by the Kuala Lumpur DID, regarding their land-use status.
“It plays a crucial role in reducing flood risks in the capital city, with maintenance work continuously carried out to ensure the capacity of the ponds remains at an optimum level,” Yeoh said.
