SHAH ALAM, Nov 6 — Around 200 families in Taman Seri Alam, Saujana Utama, Kuala Selangor, were reportedly affected by flooding yesterday evening after a retention pond overflowed.
Wan Ismail Hashim, chairman of the Infrastructure and Community Development Committee for the Saujana Utama Residents’ Representative Council (MPP), said water from the retention pond overflowed into residents’ homes following prolonged rainfall.
He said the retention pond had not breached, as it had in previous incidents, but overflowed because it could no longer contain the volume of water.
“Based on initial estimates, about 200 families in Taman Seri Alam have been affected by the overflowing retention pond.
“Water levels vary by area. In some places, floodwaters reached knee-depth, while in most affected homes in Seri Alam, the water was estimated to be about 0.3 metres deep,” he said, as quoted by Berita Harian.
Wan Ismail added that Saujana Perdana also experienced flooding, although as of yesterday evening, the water had only reached the porches of houses in the SU4 zone.
He said persistent rain had also caused a drain embankment to breach near the Eco Grandeur boundary, while several other retention ponds in the surrounding area had reached full capacity.
“The retention pond could not cope with the volume of water, while the outflow into the river slowed because the river's water level was already high.
“The Kuala Selangor Municipal Council (MPKS) has deployed two pumping units, one in Taman Seri Alam and another in Saujana Perdana, and both are now operational.
“These pumps channel water from monsoon drains or residential areas into retention ponds. However, their effectiveness is limited because water levels in the ponds are already high,” he said.
Wan Ismail believed that development in surrounding areas and poor drainage maintenance had contributed to the flooding, compounded by prolonged rainfall and the inability of water to drain away quickly enough.
He urged the relevant authorities to prioritise regular maintenance of drains and drainage systems, including the main drains responsible for channelling water away from residential areas.
Wan Ismail said monitoring of the flash floods was ongoing, involving MPKS, the police, the district office and residents’ representatives, to ensure the situation remained under control.
He added that district authorities were prepared to open a temporary evacuation centre (PPS) at Ixora Hillpark Hall if the flooding worsened and residents needed to evacuate.
