DBKL flood warning now comes one hour early, not five minutes

A Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) flood warning can now reach Kuala Lumpur residents up to an hour before flooding starts. Before the upgrade, the warning came about five minutes ahead. The city is also under pressure over drainage, with Lee Lam Thye urging an overhaul.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Lo Su Fui told the Dewan Rakyat on 12 November. He said upgrades to the Kuala Lumpur Command Centre made the longer notice possible. Specifically, they let DBKL alert residents much earlier.

Here is what changed, where the hotspots are and what the city plans for retention ponds. However, the report did not say how the warnings are sent. Therefore, some key details are still open.

DBKL flood warning: one hour ahead after command centre upgrade

Overall, Kuala Lumpur residents can now receive flood warnings up to an hour before flooding occurs. Before the upgrade, the warning gave only about five minutes. Lo said the improved capabilities made the longer notice possible.

The wording is “up to an hour”, so the lead time may differ for each event. That is our reading, not the minister’s. Therefore, residents should still act fast once an alert arrives.

However, the report did not say how the alerts are sent. It did not name the channel, such as an app or a text message. Residents may want to follow DBKL’s official pages.

Likewise, it gave no start date for the one-hour service. It also did not say which areas or flood types it covers. As a result, we cannot say if every neighbourhood gets the full hour.

DBKL flood warning and 14 flood hotspots in Kuala Lumpur

Specifically, Lo said 14 flood and flash flood hotspots were identified across Kuala Lumpur this year. None were in the Batu parliamentary constituency. The report did not list the 14 hotspots.

However, records over the past five years show flash floods in Batu. Kampung Chubadak Asal and Kampung Seri Delima were hit. In total, 250 residents were affected.

Read more: Lee Lam Thye urges Kuala Lumpur drainage overhaul

Read more: MetMalaysia warning and flash flood advice for Klang Valley

Read more: Kampung Melayu Subang floods hit 92 homes as river rises

Meanwhile, Batu MP Prabakaran M. Parameswaran had asked about residents in flood-prone areas. He also asked about evacuation centre capacity. His third question was about medium-term temporary housing.

In response, Lo said that DBKL and the Social Welfare Department had coordinated 36 temporary evacuation centres. Together, they can hold 3,550 people. That is the combined capacity. The report gave no answer on medium-term housing.

DBKL flood warning, retention ponds and sponge city plan

Furthermore, Kuala Lumpur has lost about 70% of its original 33.5 hectares of water catchment and retention areas. Lo blamed earlier land alienation. By our arithmetic, that is about 23 hectares lost, leaving about 10.

In addition, DBKL and the Federal Territories Department are working with the Selangor government. They aim to find sites for replacement retention ponds. The report named no sites.

Moreover, the two bodies have frozen development applications on or near retention ponds. They are also planning to turn Kuala Lumpur into a sponge city. Such a city soaks up and stores rainwater instead of draining it away fast. No timeline was given.

In short, the DBKL flood warning now comes up to an hour early, up from five minutes. The city lists 14 hotspots and 36 evacuation centres. Check DBKL’s official channels for alerts.

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