Klang River
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Klang River | |
---|---|
Native name | Sungai Klang (Malay) |
Location | |
Country | Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Kuala Seleh |
• elevation | 100 m (330 ft) |
Mouth | |
• location | Strait of Malacca |
Length | 120 km (75 mi) |
Discharge | |
• average | 50 m3/s (1,800 cu ft/s) |
Basin features | |
Tributaries | |
• left | Gombak River, Damansara River, Penchala River |
• right | Kerayong River |
The Klang River (
Because the river flows through
Course
The Klang River originates in the
Places named after the river
The river's confluence with the
Cities and towns on its banks
The river begins in Ampang Jaya, Selangor, then turn down along Ampang–Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway till the city centre.
Further downstream, the river flows through Selangor's state capital,
Malaysia's biggest sea port, Port Klang, is also situated at the estuary of the Klang River.
Dams
There are two major dams upstream of the river; Batu Dam and Klang Gates Dam, which provide water supply to the people of Klang Valley and mitigate floods.
Privatisation
The maintenance of the Klang River was
Flood control
Historically, Kuala Lumpur has often suffered from severe flooding from the river water overflowing the banks. In 1926, a particularly severe flood hit Kuala Lumpur, and work on the river then began in an attempt to reduce the risk of flooding. Part of the Klang River below the Gombak-Klang confluence was straightened, a channel (part of which runs beside the present Jalan Syed Putra) with flood retention banks was dug to divert the river. This project was completed in 1932.[4]
Kuala Lumpur Flood Mitigation
Efforts in controlling flood water is continuing process. Kuala Lumpur Flood Mitigation is a project to mitigate flash floods affecting Kuala Lumpur. In include diverting flood water from the Gombak River into a few stormwater ponds located in Batu, Jinjang and Kepong.[5]
SMART Tunnel
The SMART Tunnel (Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel) is part of Kuala Lumpur Flood Mitigation Project and functions to reduce both traffic congestion and flooding. It is a submerged tunnel which can carry both vehicular traffic as well as storm runoff on a lower level. When regular drainage infrastructure is overwhelmed, vehicles are evacuated from the tunnel and the entire tube is used as a gigantic storm drain to prevent Kuala Lumpur from flooding. It diverts water flow from the Kampung Berembang Lake, near the Klang River, to Taman Desa Lake, which is near the Kerayong River (one of the Klang River's tributaries). Water flow can also go the opposite direction, from the Kerayong River to the Klang River. SMART opened in May 2007.
Clean up efforts
In 2010 Selangor has a stimulus bill that included money to help rehabilitate it. The river's condition has been described as "between critical and bad" by Gareth Jones of Wessex Water, a UK-based company that is participating in the project. Kamal Zaharin, the project mastermind, states that the plans include river cleaning, new source of drinking water, environmental protection, flood mitigation, commercial, tourism and land development activities. Gareth Jones also stated that they plan on tapping groundwater in order to have a source of water that is not the sea.[6] The project has been estimated to require 15 years and attract 15 billion dollars of investment.[6]
Since 2019, two units of The Interceptor, a solar-powered river cleaning machine which is the brainchild of Dutch-based non-profit organisation The Ocean Cleanup were installed at the river stretch behind Klang Royal Town Mosque and near Parang Bridge in Port Klang. The total amount of garbage collected from the river since 2019 until 2023 was a whopping 87,682 tonnes.[7]
See also
References
- ^ Sharifah Munirah Alatas (2011). "Governance and Freshwater in the Greater Kuala Lumpur Area/Klang Valley: Success or Failure?" (PDF). Akademika. 81 (3): 95–102. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
- ^ Anil Netto (24 February 2006). "Malaysia: Fighting the Flow of River Privatisation". Inter Press Service. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Wani Muthiah (2 July 2006). "Three Rivers in Selangor to Go Private Soon". The Star. p. 3.
- ISBN 978-967-908-028-5.
- ^ "Flood Mitigation Program". Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Archived from the original on 22 December 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2007.
- ^ a b Ng, Angie (20 March 2010). "Selangor to Clean up Klang River". The Star Online. Archived from the original on 17 December 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
- ^ Muthiah, Wani (1 September 2023). "Klang River shedding murky past". The Star Online.