Protect Shah Alam's forests to curb floods, group tells Selangor govt
PETALING JAYA : Environmental group Peka has urged the Selangor government to take immediate action to protect forested areas to prevent recurrent flash floods around Shah Alam.
Its president, Rajesh Nagarajan, called for a halt to any clearing or development in forest areas regardless of their gazetted status.
He said the forests act as crucial water catchments and flood buffers for areas like the Shah Alam community.
Rajesh urged the authorities to re-gazette environmentally sensitive zones for their permanent protection, as well as to enforce strict no-development zones on steep slopes and water catchment areas.
He said the Shah Alam community forest – a 174ha lowland rainforest stretching from Sections U10 to U13 – is being fragmented by encroachments, despite being part of a wildlife corridor.
'The loss of tree cover and soil permeability has led to increased runoff, overwhelmed drainage systems and accelerated flood risks,' he said in a statement.
This follows the flash floods at Taman Bukit Kemuning in Shah Alam this morning, affecting about 180 homes and forcing more than 100 residents to evacuate.
Motorists were also reportedly stuck at the Kota Kemuning toll plaza.
Rajesh said these floods were not isolated weather anomalies. He cited the many incidents around the area as key examples, including one instance in April involving Taman Sri Muda and Taman Melawis.
He also pointed to the devastating December 2021 floods, which forced the evacuation of 400,000 people and resulted in nearly 50 deaths.
'These floods are not natural disasters, they are man-made. The forests were our protection and we have destroyed them.
'This is not just an environmental issue, but a human one. The destruction of forests has led directly to property damage, economic loss, and community hardship,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
6 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Massive peat fire spreads across Miri-Marudi pineapple plantation, scorching area the size of 112 football fields, says Fire Dept
MIRI, July 29 — A peat fire affecting a privately-owned pineapple plantation on the Miri-Marudi road continues to spread rapidly, with an estimated 80.15 ha affected as of midday today. Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Zone 6 Miri head Senior Fire Supt I Ismaidi Ismail said firefighters from the Marudi fire station remain actively engaged in extinguishing the peat fire, which entered its fourth day today. 'According to the latest update I received from the Marudi station chief, strong winds have caused the fire to spread quickly within the plantation, which spans approximately 838 ha,' he said when contacted. He pointed out the ongoing hot and dry weather, combined with the strong winds, has posed a major challenge for firefighters attempting to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby areas. Ismaidi said the pineapple plantation fire is currently the most severe peat fire reported in Zone 6 and partly contributed to the haze affecting both Marudi and Miri over the weekend. Nevertheless, he said the situation remained under control. 'So far, the Marudi station chief has not requested additional manpower from other stations under Zone 6. 'However, if the need arises, we are ready to deploy our personnel to assist with firefighting operations,' he added. Meanwhile, Ismaidi said Zone 6 recorded 27 open burning cases between July 21 and July 27. 'Of these, 16 involved bush or grass fires, one was plantation-related, three involved forest areas, three were peat fires, and four involved rubbish,' he said. He urged the public to refrain from conducting open burning, which could further worsen the current hazy weather condition. — The Borneo Post
Malay Mail
6 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Massive peat fire continues to spread at Miri-Marudi pineapple plantation, 80.15 ha affected as of midday, says Fire Dept
MIRI, July 29 — A peat fire affecting a privately-owned pineapple plantation on the Miri-Marudi road continues to spread rapidly, with an estimated 80.15 ha affected as of midday today. Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Zone 6 Miri head Senior Fire Supt I Ismaidi Ismail said firefighters from the Marudi fire station remain actively engaged in extinguishing the peat fire, which entered its fourth day today. 'According to the latest update I received from the Marudi station chief, strong winds have caused the fire to spread quickly within the plantation, which spans approximately 838 ha,' he said when contacted. He pointed out the ongoing hot and dry weather, combined with the strong winds, has posed a major challenge for firefighters attempting to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby areas. Ismaidi said the pineapple plantation fire is currently the most severe peat fire reported in Zone 6 and partly contributed to the haze affecting both Marudi and Miri over the weekend. Nevertheless, he said the situation remained under control. 'So far, the Marudi station chief has not requested additional manpower from other stations under Zone 6. 'However, if the need arises, we are ready to deploy our personnel to assist with firefighting operations,' he added. Meanwhile, Ismaidi said Zone 6 recorded 27 open burning cases between July 21 and July 27. 'Of these, 16 involved bush or grass fires, one was plantation-related, three involved forest areas, three were peat fires, and four involved rubbish,' he said. He urged the public to refrain from conducting open burning, which could further worsen the current hazy weather condition. — The Borneo Post
Malay Mail
12 hours ago
- Malay Mail
All 18 monitoring stations in Sarawak report moderate air quality as of 8am
KUCHING, July 29 — The Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) has detected moderate air quality at all 18 of its stations throughout Sarawak this morning. As of 8am, Lundu recorded an air pollutant index (API) reading of 88 – the highest among the 18 stations — compared to 79 at 4pm yesterday. The lowest API reading at 8am of 52 was recorded in Lubok Antu, which recorded a reading of 45 at 4pm yesterday. Meanwhile, Sibu and Miri registered API readings of 75 and 68 respectively at 8am today compared to 63 and 68 at 4pm yesterday. Kuching's API reading this morning was unchanged from the 74 recorded at 4pm yesterday. An NREB spokesperson said the board uses Air Quality Monitoring Stations (AQMS) in Lundu, Tebedu, Lubok Antu, Lawas, and Bario, while the other 13 stations in the state use the Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) under the Department of Environment (DoE). According to the NREB website, a reading of 0 to 50 is considered good – low pollution without any bad effect on health, while a reading of 51 to 100 is considered moderate — moderate pollution that does not pose any bad effects on health. An unhealthy status of 101 to 200 is said to worsen the health condition of high risk individuals such as those with heart and lung complications. The very unhealthy level of 201 to 300 is said to affect public health, worsening the health condition of those with heart and lung complications. Any reading above 300 is hazardous and will endanger the public, especially that of high risk individuals. — The Borneo Post
