Department director Muhammad Ridzuan Arshad said Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah conveyed his concern to him when the ruler visited the booths of participating housing developers at the Selangor World Town Planning Day here today.

He said the sultan had also raised the issue of flash floods around the Shah Alam Stadium ahead of the Malaysia Cup final match between Perak and Terengganu last Saturday.

“I will discuss with the relevant quarters on the flood mitigation measures that have to be taken to check the problem,” he said after the sultan opened the event.

The Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, and Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari also attended the function.

Ridzuan said the department will also require housing developers to give serious attention to the issue of floods when building new townships and housing estates.

Ridzuan said the Selangor Committee on Environmentally Sensitive Areas, which he chairs, receives three applications a month seeking approval for development projects on hill slopes.

“The committee, which comprises members from various departments, including the Public Works Department; the Drainage and Irrigation Department; and the Mineral and Geoscience Department, is responsible for scrutinising all applications for development on hill slopes with a gradient exceeding 25 degrees.”

Approval will only be given after all the relevant aspects have been scrutinised and there is no danger of untoward incidents happening during or after the construction, he said.