Flood mitigation project: More than 10 bodies including baby found in Klang River
LLSB managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin said the grim discoveries have become almost a monthly occurrence since dredging and widening works started on Nov 1, 2022.
SHAH ALAM – More than ten bodies, including that of a baby have been found in the Klang River since the launch of the Klang River Flood Mitigation Project under the Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG), casting a dark shadow over efforts to rehabilitate the waterway.
Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB) managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin said the grim discoveries have become almost a monthly occurrence since dredging and widening works started on Nov 1, 2022.
"So far, we have handed over more than 10 bodies to the police and fire department for further investigation. In fact, we once discovered three bodies on consecutive days," he said during a site visit to the SMG Flood Mitigation Project in Zone 8, Kota Kemuning.
The most shocking finding, he added, was the body of a baby, an unexpected and heartbreaking challenge for LLSB as the project's master developer.
In addition to the human remains, the teams have recovered large amounts of heavy waste, including refrigerators, lorry tyres, beds, sofas and even motorcycles.
The flood mitigation project, part of a comprehensive SMG initiative, aimed to boost the river’s capacity by 40 per cent while restoring its ecosystem and raising its water quality to at least Class III on the Water Quality Index.
"To date, more than 918,936 cubic metres of sediment, rubbish and stone material have been removed from the riverbed," Syaiful said.
The initiative also supported the Shah Alam Sustainable Urban Drainage programme and the development of a water treatment facility at Sungai Rasau, to enable Klang River to become a viable source of treated water for public consumption.
Key engineering measures included widening the river from 50-60 metres to 80–100 metres, reinforcing the riverbanks using earth bunds, sheet piles, geo bags and flood walls and incorporating advanced flood management technologies.
Currently, active works were focused in Shah Alam’s Zones 6, 7 and 8, covering Alam Impian, Section 24, Section 17 and Kota Kemuning—areas deemed to be high-risk flood zones.
LLSB has committed to minimising community disruption through early notices, sound and dust monitoring and the provision of alternative routes.
"This project not only increases river capacity and prevents flash floods, but also restores the dignity of the Klang River as a sustainable water and ecological asset.
"Our challenges are not small, but we are confident that an integrated approach like this represents the future of water management and flood mitigation in Selangor," he said.
He also confirmed that similar projects will continue along other stretches of the Klang River, prioritised based on flood risk and population density.
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