YOURSAY | No end in sight for our flash flood woes

YOURSAY | ‘The excuse will always be ‘excessive rainfall in a short period of time’.’

Approve at least RM1k cash aid for KL flood victims before Raya – MP

Flash floods strike KL again

Commentable: Every time Kuala Lumpur is hit by floods, we play the blame game.

Frankly speaking, the public never look at themselves and ask whether they are one of the major contributors to this problem. People are throwing rubbish everywhere and indiscriminately, especially used plastic food containers, plastic cups and bottles, and plastic bags.

Being light in weight this trash floats when it rains and clogs the nearby drains or rivers.

Has anyone seen how face masks are thrown all over the place - on roads, pavements and into drains? People don't realise these masks are not like tissue paper. Face masks are made of plastic. They don't break down when they get wet.

The public needs to understand that each time you throw something out of the window, it may affect you or someone else.

Remember, flood water does not choose its victims. To overcome this problem, the solution does not lie in large-scale drainage projects nor compensation and financial aid.

The solution is through intense and large-scale public education, sending out a clear message that it does not pay to throw non-degradable rubbish everywhere.

Strict enforcement and public reprimand against culprits should also be the new norm and it has to be intensified. Deal with it just like how we deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. Frown on the violators and don't let the violation slide.

Once we effectively deal with the menace and drains are clean and clear, our waterways will be unblocked and unclogged. Only then, will we see flash floods become a nasty piece of our history.

Malaysia Tulin: The excuse will always be "excessive rainfall in a short period of time".

We are talking about Kuala Lumpur - the biggest city in Malaysia. In just four hours of heavy rain, the city is crippled. The question is why this keeps happening, and what are the issues behind flash floods in major city areas.

It's not just the floods in Kuala Lumpur. Street lights and roads are also in a horrendous state. It looks like the country is on autopilot.

Andy Vinodovich: Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh, I hope you read this message. We can't go on being reactive in such a situation. We have to look at the macro level and ask ourselves why this is becoming a recurring theme.

Whether it's the opposition or the government, there should be a discourse on how to implement disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction measures within the country.

There should be an overarching flood mitigation system in place, especially in highly developed areas of the country. Asking for a pittance (RM1,000 cash aid for KL flood victims before Raya) is not going to solve the problem. The issue is much deeper.

Everyone says the same thing, but nothing is being done. Every time we talk about this, they only ask for a study tour to European countries that have proper flood mitigation systems.

OCT: The flood situation in Kuala Lumpur is becoming frequent these days. Every three or four months, Kuala Lumpur is flooded.

After the last Kuala Lumpur flood, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) made lots of promises that they put everything in order.

If nothing was done to mitigate the flood problem, the flood problem won't go away. Where is the master plan for flood mitigation in Kuala Lumpur? Other capital cities in Asean don't have such recurring disasters as Kuala Lumpur.

When will the government resolve the flood situation in Kuala Lumpur? Heaven knows!

Ronald Quay: Except for two turncoats, all MPs in Kuala Lumpur are from the opposition parties. Incredibly, none of them has any say in the administration of the city.

Here are the elected representatives elected by the citizens of the city and yet they do not even have a say in the local government.

How ridiculous can the situation be? DBKL is run by government bureaucrats, non-elected, and not accountable to the taxpayers of Kuala Lumpur. In the absence of proper accountability, they have become a law unto themselves.

They don’t care two hoots about the problems and plight of the people. Just look at the continuing flood situation - what has been done? This is why the city of Kuala Lumpur is in such shambles.

Mano: Shouldn't Federal Territories Minister Shahidan Kassim resign? Shouldn't the Department of Irrigation and Drainage director-general Nor Hisham Mohd Ghazali resign too?

MarioT: The establishment of task forces is for the authorities to divert attention and then wash their hands off the matter. There are people appointed in the ministries concerned to plan and set up flood mitigation efforts to prevent these recurring flash floods.

The ministers should take the blame and resign but then this is Malaysia where no one is to be blamed for these 'acts of God'.

Several task forces were established in the past for various issues of public importance but we have yet to get any concrete reports about their findings.

One does not need to be a civil engineer to know that our drainage systems are old and dilapidated and need upgrading to meet the current city infrastructure.

OrangeCondor2731: We have politicians who can't think proactively. This issue occurs time and again because the government can’t think of a permanent solution.

The corrupt keep promising the skies and the rakyat keep believing them. They will vote for these same politicians again and again.

It is the people's mistake. We forget quickly. So, at the end of the day, we are real fools.

Enlightened Globalist: Billions of ringgit have been spent over the past few years on flood alleviation, including the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (Smart).

But if anything, the situation has only got worse. I wonder why.

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