The Klang Municipal Council (MPK) is embarking on a nine-month operation to desilt all its monsoon drains.

Council president Noraini Roslan said it was an opportune time to remove rubbish, sludge and sand from monsoon drains as the ongoing south-west monsoon meant less rainfall and more dry days.

“MPK has appointed 23 private contractors who will start work using excavators, backhoes and shovels to remove large amounts of rubbish, sludge and sand.

“Our contract (with the private contractors) is for nine months, from June 1 until the end of February 2023.

“We will ensure that the work progresses according to schedule. If rubbish is found in drains after the contractors clean them, then MPK’s in-house team will move in to help,” she said after the full board meeting yesterday.

Noraini said contractors would have to clean up the concrete and wide earth cut drains.

“We believe work will move smoothly due to the dry weather. This operation is important so that we are prepared for the rainy season after September,” she added.

Noraini said MPK would coordinate with the Public Works Department, Drainage and Irrigation Department and KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd to come up with a list of areas where drains merge, as they were more prone to flash floods.

She also urged the people to stop throwing rubbish into monsoon drains but bag it for collection.

MPK Environmental Services Department director Zaireezal Ahmad Zainuddin said a budget of RM4.1mil was being set aside for the nine-month monsoon drain clean-up.

“All dirt taken out of the monsoon drains must be carted out to the landfill in Jeram, Kuala Selangor and not left on the road verge or dumped in open spaces.

“We will get our supervisors to oversee neighbourhood drains to ensure all water channels are cleaned thoroughly by KDEB,” he said.

On another issue, Noraini said she was disappointed that public cleaning works that involved cutting grass, sweeping and bagging grass clippings as well as desilting drains were not carried out as per the two-weeks-once schedule.

Councillor Lee Fu Haw said numerous complaints on contractors not doing their work properly had been received.

Noraini said she would ask the Environmental Services Department to check on the matter.

Article Credit - 
[1] The Star