We refer to the article ‘ Putrajaya withholding RM1b flood mitigation fund ’ on April 3, 2012,  would like to clarify the issues highlighted in the said article.

First and foremost, the Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) Ministry through its Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) is very committed in managing flood risks, primarily focusing on the protection of human health and safety, valuable goods and property by carrying out programmes to address the occurrence of floods.

In this aspect, the allegation thrown by the Selangor exco member Ronnie Liu that the federal government is withholding RM1 billion that has been allocated for flood mitigation efforts in Selangor is truly baseless. In this regard, the ministry is also shocked that such an allegation was lashed out by the exco member without scrutinising the facts attached to the issue.

The incident of flood which has hit Klang last week was due to heavy rain  that started at 4am in the morning and lasted until 7am on the  same day. The water receded late in the evening and it was learnt that about 70mm of rain was recorded within 90 minutes, compared to the daily average of 40mm.

This has caused flash floods in few places in Klang coupled with the fact that the urban drainage system was incapable of draining the flood water to the Klang River which was also experiencing overflowing at that point of time.

High tide did not help matters as this prevented the rising water from flowing out into the sea. Besides that, it is important to note that those drains were clogged with piles of rubbish that had obstructed the flow of water.

The department is constantly working to improve river, drainage systems, detention ponds and flood bypasses. In addition to this, the department also provides flood forecasting and warning to residents while raising public awareness and preparedness for flood occurrences among public.

Nevertheless, these actions need commitment and cooperation from every segment of the society in reducing flood risks.

We would like to reiterate that the government is very committed in reducing the number of people affected by flood while ensuring their welfare is taken care of.

Yamuna Perimalu is head, corporate communication of the Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) Ministry.