BY YVONNE T. NATHAN
Ismail (in white shirt, black pants) with the residents looking at a flooded playground in Taman Nirwana after a short bout of rain.
Residents are furious with the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council’s (MPAJ) over the perennial flooding problem in the area.
They said Taman Nirwana, Taman Putra Sulaiman and the area around the Tiara Duta condominium is inundated almost every time there is a downpour.
Residents from the three neighbourhoods voiced their dissatisfaction during a dialogue with Ampang Umno chief Datuk Ismail Kijo on Labour Day.
Abdullah Hidayat Mohamad, 34, who stays on Jalan Putra 4 in Taman Putra Sulaiman, said he always lives in fear whenever it rains heavily.
“We have to worry about moving our cars and furniture as the street turns into a water retention area,” said the resident of seven years.
He said there has been no upgrade to the drainage system as water from the large monsoon trench is channelled directly into their housing area.
“Our narrow drains cannot cope. Rainwater from the monsoon drains also spills onto the main road, Jalan Ampang Putra, and enters our street.
“It is worse now that the street is higher after the road was re-tarred as the water collects in our houses, sometimes reaching about 10cm to knee height,” said Abdullah.
“Most of the residents have raised the front of their houses but water still comes in,” added Jalan Putra 4 resident Alan Ng.
“It only takes 20 minutes or less of heavy rain for the drains to be completely filled.
“A kindergarten on our street flooded in 2015, trapping the children and it happened again this year though luckily they were not inside.”
Taman Nirwana resident Thomas M said flooding was also caused by the funnelling of water from Taman Nirwana Phase One into Phase Two.
“The drains at Jalan Nirwana 42 were built to accommodate only three housing areas, now there are more.
“But instead of redirecting the floodwaters straight to Taman Cempaka and out to Sungai Kerayong, the water goes into our drains,” he said.
Thomas added that MPAJ had spent a lot of money hiring consultants without revealing how the situation could be resolved.
Tiara Duta Condominium Management Corporation chairman Jeyseelan Amalu said residents in the area have spent thousands of ringgit to repair their cars.
“There was a massive flood two weeks ago. It was worse in 2015 when around 15 cars were submerged in water,” he said.
Ismail asked residents to provide him with details of the damage sustained.
“I will try to get an allocation from the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry and meet with the MPAJ president to see their flood mitigation plans,” he said.
It was reported that the drainage system in Taman Nirwana is due for a comprehensive upgrade along with neighbouring Pandan Indah.
The estimated cost will be RM22mil and according to an MPAJ representative, the council had requested for an allocation from the state government.
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