A comprehensive master plan is needed
A comprehensive master plan is needed
LETTERS: The recent devastating floods in the greatly affected area of Taman Sri Muda in Shah Alam are a stark reminder that the government and the people must work together to ensure co-existence with the natural environment.
Most residents lost everything. My parents-in-laws' house was inundated. They were rescued by my brother-in-law with the help of non-governmental organisation team members, who were passing by the area in the critical phase of the floods on Dec 18 and 19. It was a "miracle", he exclaimed after the rescue.
The floods have shown everyone the good, bad and ugly sides of ignoring both man-made and natural landscapes. It is easy to put the blame on numerous parties for the suffering and loss of lives.
It is easier to point to the impacts of natural disasters and the effects of climate change. But there are several positive things that the people and the flood victims could do to minimise the adverse impact on the surrounding environment.
As I write this letter, a drive or a walk through Sri Muda would reveal a scene similar to Hurricane Katrina's aftermath or after the passing of a tornado.
Heaps of rubbish are piled up high on sides of roads. This included vehicles damaged by the floods.
The spirit of gotong-royong and civic-mindedness, however, has been strong.
Government agencies, such as the police, General Operations Force, and Fire and Rescue Department, and NGOs have helped in the aftermath by providing technical assistance, foods, drinks and manpower in the cleaning efforts.
The NGOs were recognisable by the colours of their attire. For example, the NGO members in red T-shirts assisted residents in cleaning their houses with a jet spray machine and they did a marvelous job.
The king visited the Sri Muda area to speak to flood victims and residents. He also urged the government to conduct a post-mortem on the drainage systems in the urban areas or cities. His kindness calmed flood victims.
There is an urgent need to heed his advice and improve the drainage systems and find technical solutions for Sri Muda and the surrounding areas which were affected by the floods.
It is high time the government, especially the Drainage and Irrigation Department, the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Mineral and the Geoscience Department, seriously looked at sustainable and novel ways to resolve and prevent a repetition of such devastating floods. This includes scrutinising landslide incidents, as well as examining slopes in Selangor, besides stepping up precautionary measures to ensure public safety.
According to a recent report, PWD detected 75 locations across the nation that had been struck by related natural disasters, including landslides, not only in Selangor, but also in Kelantan, Pahang, Kedah, Negri Sembilan and Terengganu.
Together with the residents' representatives, the agencies must find permanent solutions and effective measures to avert a repetition of disastrous floods and landslides.
Disaster management is another area that requires attention. During an emergency, there is a crucial need to keep all lines of communication open to facilitate and coordinate rescue efforts.
Perhaps, a practical and comprehensive master plan on floods, landslide and emergency rescue is needed to look at this triple problem thoroughly.
JEONG CHUN PHUOC
Shah Alam, Selangor
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
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