The floods in Rawang, Selangor, occurred after 10 hours of heavy rain, in an area that is currently undergoing massive development. Hillsides have been cleared and river basins have been developed with little thought for how the increasing run-off and siltation will affect the river.

SOS Selangor is disturbed by these developments. Voracious development is not being monitored and is affecting communities. Development, such as the industrialisation and land-clearing at Rawang, is on a much smaller scale than the Sungai Selangor dam, but it became an unexpected calamity that affected 15,000 people.

Despite this and other tragedies, the Selangor state government is still not enforcing environmental legislation and companies flaunt their feigned ignorance with impunity. A glaring example is the alarming speed of construction of the Selangor dam and the road diversion to Fraser's Hill. Rampant logging activities are also clearly visible. There have been urgent calls for an Emergency Response Plan for the residents of Kuala Kubu Baru when the proposal for the dam was first mooted, but to date, it has not been made public.

It is time for the authorities to learn from the mistakes of the past and ensure that the environment is given the highest priority. More monitoring of the effects of development and harsh penalties for those who desecrate the environment are needed. And an Emergency Response Plan for communities downstream of Sungai Selangor dam is imperative.

Repeated verbal assurances from contractors and the Department of Environment to monitor development will not reassure anyone now until firmer actions are undertaken to safeguard the downstream communities.