Smart tunnels to be built in Shah Alam to overcome flood woes

PUTRAJAYA - The Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (Smart) will be built in high-density areas such as Shah Alam, Selangor.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this was among the short and long-term measures agreed upon by the Water and Environment Ministry (KASA) to resolve the flood issue.

“During a meeting on Thursday, the Central Disaster Management Committee (CDMC) has agreed to develop flood-resilient "sponge cities" like in China as well as creating “floating cities" like in the Netherlands,” he said in a statement on Friday.

The Smart tunnel which began operating in Kuala Lumpur on April 7, 2007, has a dual-function of solving the problem of flash floods in the city centre and to reduce traffic jams during peak hours.

Ismail Sabri also said the comprehensive solution requires a huge allocation which would involve billions of ringgit and it will take a long time before it could be materialised.

“In the meeting, it was agreed that the government would focus on high-risk areas and prioritise the implementation of the plans to resolve flood woes,” he said.

He said flood-prone villages located near the rivers will be relocated to higher grounds and the government has agreed to set up a Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) centre.

He added that a flood forecast and early warning system based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) will also be developed.

“Over 100 existing automatic weather observing stations will be upgraded, logging activities control and approval for urban planning will be taken into consideration,” he said.

The government, he said will also identify permanent relief centres (PPS) equipped with basic amenities such as toilets, wash rooms and a storage room to store essential items.

He said the dormitories at boarding schools that are turned into a PPS will be used as temporary shelters for the flood victims.

He added that the government and local authorities will be given the responsibility to ensure proper maintenance of drainage systems.

“The major rivers will be deepened and widened to build more flood barriers,” he said.