Fix retention pond issues before tragedy strikes, Taman Seri Alam folk say

Sazalie Basran, chairman of the Taman Seri Alam residents’ association, said they would continue to live in fear, especially during the rainy season, unless these issues were resolved.

“Don’t act only after tragedy strikes,” he told FMT.

Selangor fire and rescue department director Wan Razali Wan Ismail said yesterday that the embankment breach was believed to have occurred at around 5.30am after overnight rain.

Some 35 homes were inundated in the back, with water levels reaching an estimated 0.2 feet.

Several videos which went viral on social media captured the extent of the flood, showing submerged streets and water levels rising to the height of vehicle tyres.

Many residents scrambled to move their cars to higher ground in an attempt to protect them from the rising floodwaters.

The incident followed a similar event last December, when a section of the same retention pond collapsed and caused flooding in the residential area. Another incident was also reported a decade ago.

Sazalie claimed that the structure of the retention pond was unsafe, as the base was not only higher than the homes in the neighbourhood, but also had a rubber wall.

“It’s like we are living next to a dam which could break at any time. We want this retention pond to be sealed,” he said, adding that there had been talk about increasing the size of the retention pond.

Resident Akmal Abdul Ghani said he began feeling unsafe after the retention pond was built in front of his house in 2015.

The 39-year-old, who has lived in the area since 2011, said he could no longer cope with the losses incurred due to the flooding.

He said last night’s incident alone had caused an estimated RM2,000 in damage.

“It (the flooding) happened very quickly. My wife and I only managed to salvage the electrical goods.

“We couldn’t do anything about the furniture. Fortunately, the water receded swiftly,” the father of five said.