PETALING JAYA, June 29 — Approximately RM6.44 million has been allocated by the state government to upgrade the drainage system and the retention pond in the upper part of the Sungai Kayu Ara area.
The works include the construction of a one-hectare retention pond opposite Pangsapuri Lily and Rose, and repairing a one-km long river bank along the Sungai Kayu Ara route.
According to Bandar Utama state assemblyman Jamaliah Jamaluddin, the project began on April 6 and is expected to be completed by October 6, 2023.
“The upgrading works aim to handle the almost five-feet high flash floods that frequently occur and affect the surrounding area, especially the residents of Kampung Cempaka.
"I thank the state government and the Irrigation and Drainage Department for approving the project to resolve an issue that has plagued the people for decades," she said.
Met after the groundbreaking ceremony for the project today, Jamaliah said the project is expected to be able to control the speed of the water flowing downstream, thus preventing the river banks from collapsing.
"The collapse is due to the hydraulic conditions at the location, that eroded the rivers banks and resulted in sediment in the riverbed during heavy rains," she added.
Meanwhile, Kampung Cempaka Community Management Council chairman Theresa Lim Yin Fah thanked the state government and hoped that there would be no more flood incidents after this.
"There are around 8,000 residents here who are mostly senior citizens. When there is a flood, they are the ones who will be severely affected,” she said.
