Latest news with #KotaKemuning
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Climate
- Free Malaysia Today
Protect Shah Alam's forests to curb floods, group tells Selangor govt
About 180 homes were affected and more than 100 residents evacuated after flash floods hit Taman Bukit Kemuning in Shah Alam this morning. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Environmental group Peka has urged the Selangor government to take immediate action to protect forested areas to prevent recurrent flash floods around Shah Alam. Its president, Rajesh Nagarajan, called for a halt to any clearing or development in forest areas regardless of their gazetted status. He said the forests act as crucial water catchments and flood buffers for areas like the Shah Alam community. Rajesh urged the authorities to re-gazette environmentally sensitive zones for their permanent protection, as well as to enforce strict no-development zones on steep slopes and water catchment areas. He said the Shah Alam community forest – a 174ha lowland rainforest stretching from Sections U10 to U13 – is being fragmented by encroachments, despite being part of a wildlife corridor. 'The loss of tree cover and soil permeability has led to increased runoff, overwhelmed drainage systems and accelerated flood risks,' he said in a statement. This follows the flash floods at Taman Bukit Kemuning in Shah Alam this morning, affecting about 180 homes and forcing more than 100 residents to evacuate. Motorists were also reportedly stuck at the Kota Kemuning toll plaza. Rajesh said these floods were not isolated weather anomalies. He cited the many incidents around the area as key examples, including one instance in April involving Taman Sri Muda and Taman Melawis. He also pointed to the devastating December 2021 floods, which forced the evacuation of 400,000 people and resulted in nearly 50 deaths. 'These floods are not natural disasters, they are man-made. The forests were our protection and we have destroyed them. 'This is not just an environmental issue, but a human one. The destruction of forests has led directly to property damage, economic loss, and community hardship,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
10 corpses pulled out in Sungai Klang widening work
The widening and deepening of Sungai Klang began on Nov 1, 2022 as part of the Selangor Maritime Gateway initiative. (Selangor Maritime Gateway pic) PETALING JAYA : More than 10 corpses, including that of a baby, have been found in the implementation of the Sungai Klang flood mitigation project under the Selangor Maritime Gateway initiative. Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin said the discoveries are not isolated incidents, and have happened many times since work to widen and deepen the river began on Nov 1, 2022. 'So far, we have handed over 10 corpses to the police and the fire and rescue department for further investigation. 'We once found three corpses at one time,' Sinar Harian reported him as saying after a site visit in Kota Kemuning today. Syaiful said pollution also poses a challenge to the project, with the discovery of heavy items such as refrigerators, lorry tyres, mattresses, couches and motorcycles at the bottom of the river. 'I don't understand how a refrigerator ended up in the river,' he said. He said the project has seen more than 918,936 cubic metres of matter, including sediment, garbage and rocks, extracted from the bottom of Sungai Klang.
