Living with floods for six long years

Thursday April 2, 2009


Living with floods for six long years
Story and photo by STUART MICHAEL

FOR six long years, residents of Taman Garing in Rawang have had to bear with flash floods in their area with water reaching almost 0.7m into their houses. They are hopeful the ordeal is over now.

Taman Garing was first hit by floods on Aug 13, 2003. Two years later, on April 30, 2005, it was flooded again. Then, on Oct 26, 2006, the area was again inundated. On April 13, 2007, and July 21, 2007, the deluge came again.

For the last two years, flood water continued to enter the houses whenever there is a heavy downpour, and the residents are fed up with the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) for not doing anything to relieve their suffering.

Close watch: Gurdip Kaur (in a wheelchair) checking on the cleaning up of the monsoon drain in Taman Garing by workers from the MPS Health and Licensing Department.

The residents blamed the floods on the Kota Emerald housing project at the top of a nearby hill.

However, it is actually the MPS which is to blame for not cleaning up the monsoon drain that is filled with trees, tall grass and weeds and that caused the floods to occur frequently.

The rubbish trapped in the drain is also causing a foul smell and attracting flies.

According to MPS councillor Gurdip Kaur, the drain has not been cleared for the last eight years. However, the MPS Health and Licensing Department cleared the weeds, trees and tall grass in the drain recently.

“With the drain cleared, we hope the flood woes in Taman Garing will end,’’ Gurdip Kaur said.