BY PRIYA MENON

Rising tide: The KTM Batu Tiga station experiences frequent flashfloods as its old drainage systems can no longer cope with downpours. — Photo: ART CHEN

LONG-STANDING flood woes at the Batu Tiga KTM Komuter Station in Shah Alam may only be resolved with a cash injection from the Selangor government.

Subang Jaya Municipal Council president Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan said the council needed money to widen the culverts located next to the train station.

He said the narrow drainage system was no longer able to cope with the intense water flow during a downpour.

“The drainage system is 30 to 40 years old and needs to be widened to help ease the flood problems at Batu Tiga,” he added.

Nor Hisham said he hoped the state government would consider providing the added allocation for the benefit of the people.

The floods at the train station happen once every couple of weeks especially during the monsoon season.

While hoping to receive funds from the state government, MPSJ is cleaning the drains that are clogged with rubbish as a temporary measure.

The council president said workers had found bulk waste including logs, domestic garbage and other large items during the cleaning process.

“Our contractors have been asked to clean the drains regularly.

“We have set up a committee to work with the contractors and are in touch with them through a mobile phone messaging service,” he added.

Apart from MPSJ, Nor Hisham said the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) and KTM Berhad (KTMB) were also assisting in the short-term mitigation plan.

Like a swimming pool: The Batu Tiga Komuter Station during a recent flood. — filepic

He said DID would monitor and clean the nearby Sungai Damansara tributary.

“The collaboration was decided during a meeting between DID and MPSJ last month.

“We will do this for now while applying for the state allocation,” he added.

A KTMB spokesman said the flooding problem had been affecting the station for a very long time and the company would help in cleaning up the drain.

“The floods are caused by bad drainage and unfortunately the KTM station is caught in it.

“We cannot do any major work but will offer any assistance needed,” she added.

There have been previous attempts to solve the flood problem.

A flood mitigation project costing RM21.7mil was approved in 1999.

Work began in April 2002 and was completed two years later.

The project was initiated after some 3,000 residents of Taman Batu Tiga voiced their ire about having to put up with flashfloods for more than 12 years. The downpours could result in floodwaters of about two metres deep.

Despite the flood mitigation project, flashfloods have returned to plague commuters at the KTM station as well as residents.

News reports dating back to 2006, show a massive pre-dawn flashflood on Feb 27, 2006, that halted the Sentul-Port Klang Komuter train service at the Subang Jaya station.

Trains had to return to Sentul, while the service from Port Klang ended at the Shah Alam station and turned back.

Train services only resumed in the afternoon after waters receded.

Since then, the station and its surrounding areas are affected several times each year, leaving thousands of people stranded in the train carriages or at the carpark due to the floods.

The most recent incident occurred on May 12 when flashfloods turned the Batu Tiga KTM station into a temporary jetty and halted services for a short while before floodwaters receded several hours later.

Hundreds of cars were submerged in the incident.

Consequently, many commuters who drive to the station to catch the train opt to park elsewhere but end up with summons from the police and MPSJ for parking illegally.

T. Viji, 59, said her car was damaged by the floods once and she then opted to park by the road but had been issued summons once.

“When we are away at work in Kuala Lumpur and it rains in Shah Alam, there is no way we can rush back to our cars, so we park by the road but even that has become a problem,” she said.

Now Viji parks near shoplots some 200m from the KTM station. But she is concerned now that a nearby night market will be relocated to that stretch on Wednesdays and Sundays starting today.

A commuter who wished to be known only as Siti said commuters would lose parking space at the shoplots on those two days each week.

“This will force people to park by the roadside, causing congestion once again.

“If the authorities can resolve the flooding problem, we would not have to worry anymore,” she added.

Kota Raja Wanita MCA chief Chew Soo Mee said the state government should prioritise this issue and resolve it as soon as possible.

She said the floods had caused inconveniences not only to people using the Batu Tiga KTM station but others from Port Klang and Kuala Lumpur as well every time the service was disrupted.

“The state government talks about good governance but core issues like these are neglected.

“They should concentrate and pool resources for issues such as this so that people will not be discouraged from using public transportation,” she added.