AFTER the country endured episodes of haze, Malaysians are now facing another weather-related challenge, as scorching daytime temperatures can quickly give way to heavy rain, triggering flash floods.
This unpredictable weather phenomenon is nothing new. However, what is worrying is that whenever heavy rain strikes, the same areas are once again inundated, as though no lasting solution has been found.
This week alone, several areas in the Klang Valley were hit by flash floods following heavy rain that lasted only a few hours.
Among them was Kampung Melayu Subang, where about 92 houses across four roads were affected, forcing three residents, including an elderly person with disabilities and an infant, to be evacuated to a temporary relief centre.
In Shah Alam, several major routes, including the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), North-South Expressway Central Link (ELITE) and Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE), were also affected and had to be closed.
Flash floods were also reported in Seri Kembangan, Petaling Jaya, Bangsar, Taman Tun Dr Ismail and Jalan Pantai Baharu.
Adding to the concern, continuous heavy rain on Wednesday caused a bridge along Jalan Kubu Gajah in Sungai Buloh to collapse, cutting off a major route for local residents.
More worrying still, the Malaysian Meteorological Department has forecast that extreme rainfall, with accumulations exceeding 100 millimetres, could continue every afternoon in the Klang Valley until the end of this week.
The question is, how long must residents endure the same cycle of problems every time heavy rain falls?
Flash floods are not merely about water accumulating on roads. They also place considerable strain on the public. People arrive late for work, schoolchildren face difficulties getting to school, traders lose income, while homeowners have to bear the cost of cleaning their properties and replacing damaged belongings.
At a time when the cost of living is already putting pressure on households, the public once again has to spend money covering losses caused by a problem that is no fault of their own.
Therefore, the real question is not simply whether the country should continue to develop, but whether development is being carried out with proper planning.
Development must not come at the expense of drainage systems, water catchment areas and natural spaces that help absorb excess rainwater.
Whenever land is developed for condominiums and high-density housing, the capacity of drains, roadside gutters and drainage systems in the surrounding areas should also be reviewed and upgraded in line with population growth and the expansion of paved surfaces.
But is this being done in tandem with development? We must not allow buildings to grow taller and populations to become denser while drainage systems continue operating at their old capacity.
More importantly, where are the water catchment areas and flood mitigation plans that should form part of development planning?
Developers must be held accountable, while local authorities (PBTs) must take a firmer approach in ensuring that every project approval takes into account the capacity of existing infrastructure.
It is not enough to simply approve development projects and then leave relevant agencies to deal with flooding only after an incident has occurred.
Ultimately, a city's progress should not be measured solely by its rows of skyscrapers, commercial centres and new housing projects, but also by its ability to protect residents from disasters that can be anticipated and whose risks can be reduced.
I believe the public is not asking for development to stop. They simply want development that does not make their lives increasingly difficult.
We must not reach a point where every time the sky turns dark and rain begins to fall, residents are left anxiously wondering whether their homes, vehicles and belongings will once again fall victim to floods.
Roskhoirah Yahya is a Sinar Harian journalist.