Klebang: Immediate mitigation measures will be implemented to address the recurring flash floods in Taman Rambai Indah here, including enlarging the water retention pond located at a playground in the area.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Klebang state assemblyman Datuk Lim Ban Hong stated that the existing retention pond could no longer accommodate the volume of water during periods of heavy rainfall, such as last month. The housing area, developed in the 1980s, is located at a lower elevation than other residential areas in its vicinity, which has been identified as one of the main factors contributing to the frequent occurrence of flash floods.
Taman Rambai Indah is one of the flood hotspots in the Klebang state constituency, with flash floods occurring twice last month alone, on July 11 and 25. The flash floods caused water to rise to waist and chest levels in many houses in the area, resulting in extensive damage to property, Lim told reporters during a visit to the flood hotspot in Taman Rambai Indah today. The visit was also attended by Melaka Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) director Mohd Adnan Ahmad Fauzi and representatives from the Melaka Historic City Council (MBMB).
Lim mentioned that the DID is studying a proposal to install a bund along Sungai Ayer Salak in the area to prevent the river from overflowing into the residential area. Works to widen and deepen the drainage system in the housing area will also be carried out to ensure that water can flow more smoothly and directly into Sungai Ayer Salak. Water from the Bukit Rambai Industrial Park area also flows through the rear of Taman Rambai Indah, resulting in a higher volume of water entering the drains during heavy rain. In addition, portable pumps will be installed in the area to channel water from the drains directly into Sungai Ayer Salak more quickly, thereby preventing flash floods, he explained.
Last month, it was reported that high rainfall distribution in Melaka Tengah and Alor Gajah, exceeding the rainfall recorded during the Senyar tropical storm at the end of last year, was among the factors that caused flooding in the two districts on July 11. The highest cumulative rainfall of more than 100 millimetres (mm) was recorded in both districts.