KLANG, Oct 18 — Areas at high risk of flooding will be prioritised for retention pond construction under a RM100 million allocation from the federal government to reduce the risk of flash floods in the Klang Valley.
State executive councillor for infrastructure and agriculture Dato' Izham Hashim said the Irrigation and Drainage Department will first conduct a study to identify locations requiring new retention ponds, drainage widening, or upgrades to existing ponds.
“To develop retention ponds, RM100 million is a relatively small amount. The allocation must be considered in relation to the scale of the projects.
"We will look at the worst-affected areas for retention ponds, drainage widening, or the expansion of existing ponds to prevent flooding,” he said during the Townhall Belanjawan Selangor Kita Anak Muda programme yesterday.
During the tabling of Budget 2027 in the Dewan Rakyat on October 9, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced a RM100 million allocation for retention pond construction and river maintenance to reduce the risk of flash floods in the Klang Valley.
He said the measure was part of immediate efforts to address recurring floods in the affected areas.
Elaborating, Izham said various infrastructure projects funded by the federal government in Selangor, with a combined estimated value of more than RM4 billion, are underway, in the planning stages, or are nearing completion.
“Many projects are already under way, including those initiated by the federal government and handed over to the Selangor government. Over RM4 billion worth of projects have received commitments and are either under way, being planned, or nearing completion,” he said.
As part of its long-term efforts, the state government is studying a water highway concept under the Water Master Plan to address flooding, particularly in urban areas.
Izham added that flash floods typically occur when heavy rain falls over a short period, overwhelming existing drainage systems.
“Drains cannot cope with this volume of water. As such, we need an alternative approach, including using water highways.
“I previously presented the proposal to the Prime Minister during his visit to Selangor, and he asked for it to be studied thoroughly. We are conducting the study under the Water Master Plan.
“The implementation will cover the Klang Valley, from Kuala Lumpur to Selangor. Water from the Klang Valley, including Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, flows through Selangor, so both areas must be addressed together,” he said.
Previously, Izham said the Selangor Water Master Plan study was also assessing the effectiveness of flood mitigation projects, taking into account various factors, including development and water resource management.
The Town and Country Planning Department is coordinating the study, which involves local authorities.
