KUALA SELANGOR, Nov 6 — Heavy rainfall exceeding 100mm at the Universiti Teknologi MARA’s (UiTM) Puncak Alam campus’ water retention pond triggered flash floods in several areas around Puncak Alam yesterday.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said overflow from the retention pond caused a nearby concrete beam to fracture, affecting over 1,000 residential and commercial units.
Following the incident, he ordered immediate repairs to the concrete beam, along with an upgrade to the retention pond as a long-term solution.
“According to findings by the Irrigation and Drainage Department, the heaviest rainfall yesterday occurred at the UiTM site here. This impacted the flood situation within the UiTM campus.
“Furthermore, a significant volume of the runoff flowed outward, resulting in overflows in several other localities.
"Yesterday, rainfall was estimated to exceed 100mm, and I am currently seeking an immediate solution," he told the media during his visit to the campus today.
Earlier, Amirudin received a brief update from Kuala Selangor district officer Mohd Raiz Radzuan and relevant technical agencies before being taken to inspect the retention pond at the UiTM Puncak Alam campus.
He added that a hydrological study must be conducted first to assess the requirements and determine the best solution, given that the retention pond is situated on high ground near several faculty buildings.
Upgrading the retention pond must be prioritised as an immediate measure to address the issue while a long-term solution is identified.
"We need to carry out a hydrological study first because the site is on high ground, with many faculty buildings located below it. This means we cannot simply break it apart.
"However, upgrading this retention pond is an urgent necessity, and we need to determine what specific improvements can be implemented," Amirudin said.
Yesterday, UiTM Selangor reported that a concrete drain beam had fractured due to high water flow following nearly three hours of heavy rain, which was identified as the cause of the flooding at the UiTM Puncak Alam campus.
Its Corporate Communications Unit said that Rector Prof Dr Ahmad Taufek Abdul Rahman inspected the affected areas to assess the situation following the incident.
