THE Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) has appointed a new contractor to complete the partially completed river embankment project to protect areas next to Sungai Langat here.
In a walkabout at the site that was subject to flash flooding on Wednesday evening, Kajang assemblyman David Cheong said the previous contractor had abandoned work along the river when it was only 40% completed.
“The contractor hired by DID abandoned the project, requiring DID to seek new contractors through a re-tendering process.
“We had to call in excavators and other necessary machinery for immediate action to avoid flooding here,” he told StarMetro during a visit to Taman Seri Langat on Thursday (May 9).
He added that more than 20 residents were brought to Jalan Reko Community Hall in Kajang yesterday after the floods hit.
A check by StarMetro saw several vehicles here affected by floodwaters, while several residents were still in the process of drying their furniture and other belongings.
The flood also brought down the fences of some houses near Sungai Langat, with Taman Langat Komuniti Rukun Tetangga chairman Muhd Sobri Taib, 40, saying 170 of the 217 houses were affected by the flood.
“Heavy rain occurred around 4.30pm, and residents were advised to move their vehicles to safer locations. We activated two of our river pumps, but they couldn’t handle the surge due to the intensity of the rain.
“At its highest, water rose to chest level, and receded at midnight,” he said, adding that he is aware that DID is reconstructing the eroded embankment.
According to DID, the bund, to be built with an allocation of RM250,000, is supposed to span 600m to 700m along Sungai Langat.
“We have a contractor to continue the progress of the bunds set there.
“For temporary mitigation, contingency work is being assisted by the contractors on-site to build temporary earth bunds,” told a DID official.
