SHAH ALAM, Nov 1 — The Klang River flood mitigation project is expected to benefit at least 500,000 residents of Selangor, after the project is completed, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said.
Speaking to the press after visiting the river’s deepening and widening project in Kota Kemuning here, Amirudin said there more than 15,000 officers and over 15,000 machinery are involved in the project that covers 56km.
The project has been overdue for many years and the entire exercise will be carried out over a five-year period, with an estimated investment cost of RM700 million, that will also cover relevant remedial construction works and maintenance.
“If we take Sri Muda’s capacity alone, there are 45,000 people. That is our estimation during the flood incident previously. So if it’s along the Klang River, the areas which we are taking, I feel it can cover at least 500,000 residents from the surrounding areas.
“For now, actually the state government has given an initial funding to Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB) of RM100 million to kickstart the project, and it will be followed by several other step which will be requested from time to time, based on the progress of the project,” he added.
Twelve zones within four main blocks have been identified, with several marked as most vulnerable to potential floodings due to depth shallowness caused by decades of sediment build-up, LLSB said, adding that these elements sit along 56km of downstream Sungai Klang under the Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) initiative, which covers the length of river and land surrounding it from Mid Valley to Port Klang.
Sungai Klang is the main river, which leads into the ocean in Selangor and acts as the confluence point for many tributaries. This results in the river being a major accumulation area for pollution, which may cause flooding at multiple locations further upstream.
“The development of Sungai Klang, this is the land we mentioned. This is what was envisioned by the late Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, when the development of Sungai Klang was mentioned.
“This is among the plots and on this plot we start with the deepening project, and in fact we also planned for the office of Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) to be based here, so that they can monitor the state of the river,” Amirudin added.
Immediate works will focus on Block 1 and Block 3, with Zone 8 (upstream Sri Muda) within Block 3 will be the first area of work, which stretches 4.2km, and is expected to be completed by March 2023. Area SA06 at Kota Kemuning will serve as the initial operational site.
LLSB said that the Klang River will be deepened between two to three metres at the identified areas and is expected to increase river capacity by 40 per cent, lowering the risk of flooding. It said that this would also improve water quality by enhanced removal of contaminants that have occurred over decades, due to chemical spills, sewage accumulation, build-up of decayed plant life and storm water runoff.
The project will also result in the removal of large volumes of thrash beneath the surface of the Klang River riverbed accumulated over long periods.
