Sungai Klang capacity up to 22pct, flood risk reduced

Shah Alam: The water-carrying capacity of Sungai Klang has risen by 22 percent, down from below five percent previously, according to Landasan Lumasan Sdn Bhd (LLSB) managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin. This enhancement has contributed to a reduced risk of river overflow and flooding, particularly in vital regions. The project, which comprises a 56-kilometer river widening and deepening, is currently 68 percent complete.

The dredging and riverbank improvement works carried out in critical areas like Taman Sri Muda have considerably decreased the likelihood of water overflow. Since 2017, around 1.2 million cubic meters of dredged material has been extracted to increase the river channel's width and its ability to hold water, Nordin revealed at a press conference at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (SSAAS) Building.

He emphasized that the removal of sediment had aided in minimizing the risk of floods resulting from river overflow, including the floods that occurred in Malaysia in 2021. Nordin clarified that the recent flooding was not due to Sungai Klang overflowing but rather due to internal drainage issues. The river widening and deepening project is slated to be finished by the end of next year, while the segment from Shah Alam to Mid Valley will be executed by the Federal Government.

Upon completion of the dredging works, the project aims to boost Sungai Klang's water-carrying capacity to 40 percent. Apart from the physical works, the consistent river-cleaning program initiated in 2017 has eliminated over 98,000 tonnes of garbage at a expense of RM19.6 million to enhance water flow. The cleaning efforts, coupled with public awareness campaigns, have decreased annual waste from 16,000 tonnes to between 5,000 and 6,000 tonnes, thereby raising water quality from Class 5 to Class 3 and 4.