The Selangor government will review previously approved development projects to make sure adequate flood mitigation measures are in place, particularly in high-risk areas.
Menteri besar Amirudin Shari said the review would include requiring developers to build temporary water retention facilities to reduce flood risks. “We do not want them to carry out the work in a shoddy or substandard manner,” he told reporters after inspecting a retention pond at Universiti Teknologi Mara’s Puncak Alam campus on Friday.
He said the state had also identified other factors behind flooding in areas such as Johan Setia, Parit Mahang, Bukit Kuching and Bukit Hijau, including vandalised embankments under the Sungai Buloh 1 flood mitigation scheme that had been lowered below their original specifications, and water overflowing from the West Coast Expressway.
Amirudin said action would be taken against illegal operations in the area, and several demolitions would be needed so that sites could be gazetted as water catchment areas or floodplains. Two locations have already been identified, and the work will be carried out by the district and land office with the local authorities.
He added that the state would discuss with the management of a mosque that is often flooded the possibility of raising the building or moving it to a more suitable site, as it sits in a low-lying area that receives excess water from Sungai Subang.