Floods: Rivers To Be Deepened

                 KUALA LUMPUR -- In order to overcome flash
                 floods in the Klang Valley, the Works Ministry has
                 proposed to the Cabinet to deepen rivers in the Federal
                 Territory, particularly the Klang river.

                 Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said it would
                 cost the government between RM500 million and
                 RM600 million (between S$223.6 million and S$268.4
                 million) to undertake this flood alleviation project.

                 Berita Harian Malaysia yesterday quoted him as saying
                 that he had requested the Cabinet to ask the Agriculture
                 Ministry to submit a proposal on the matter.

                 "The proposal would ensure that the government would
                 not be confronted with the problem of flash floods every
                 three months," he said.

                 Deepening of rivers is the job of the Drainage and
                 Irrigation Department, which comes under the purview
                 of the Agriculture Ministry.

                 Datuk Samy Vellu said at his office here that the
                 government ought to consider the idea because the
                 floods were damaging infrastructure such as the roads.

                 "Many of the roads are in water the moment there is an
                 hour or two hours of rain," Bernama also quoted him as
                 saying.

                 He added that silting had been identified as the main
                 cause of the flash floods in the Klang Valley.

                 The frequent flash floods in the city are believed to have
                 been caused by sand from construction sites choking up
                 the rivers and drains.

                 Residents have also been also blamed for dumping
                 rubbish into rivers and drains.

                 The minister said that he had also directed Plus -- the
                 company managing the North-South highway -- to file a
                 report on floods affecting the expressways.

                 Last week, flash floods at the Federal Highway caused
                 massive traffic jams, the worst of which put the highway
                 at the Batu Tiga toll plaza under a metre of water.

                 Datuk Samy Vellu said that his ministry would be
                 monitoring human activities which caused floods as well
                 as landslides.

                 Such steps would help prevent the recurrence of
                 landslides such as the one which occurred in the
                 Cameron Highlands recently, he said.

                       Adapted from The Straits Times, 21 Jan 2000.