Klang River
Encyclopedia
Klang River is a river which flows through Kuala Lumpur
and Selangor
in Malaysia and eventually flows into the Straits of Malacca. It is approximately 120 km in length and drains a basin of about 1288 square kilometres. Klang River has 11 major tributaries.
Given the fact that the river flows through Klang Valley
which is a heavily populated area of more than four million people, it is considerably polluted. Heavy development has narrowed certain stretches of the river until it resembles a large storm drain
. This contributes to flash flood
s in Kuala Lumpur, especially after heavy rain.
Klang River was used to be called Sungai Seleh.
, Batu River, Kerayong River, Damansara River
, Keruh River, Kuyoh River, Penchala River and Ampang River
. It flows into the Straits of Malacca to the west.
gave rise to the name of Kuala Lumpur
, Malaysia's capital city. Kuala Lumpur means "muddy estuary". It is also thought that Klang
town is named after the river.
. Klang
town is situated on the lower stretches of the river.
Malaysia's biggest sea port, Port Klang
, is also situated at the estuary of Klang river.
and Klang Gates Dam
, which provide water supply to the people of Klang Valley and mitigate floods.
s were present within the Klang River until relatively recently (the past century) and are still found in isolated regions of peninsular Malaysia
.
into a few stormwater ponds located in Batu, Jinjang and Kepong.
has a stimulus bill that included money to help rehabilitate it. The rivers condition has been described a s"between critical and bad" by Gareth Jones of Wessex Water which 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.
The project has been estimated take 15 years and attract 15 billion dollars worth of investments.
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and Selangor
Selangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
in Malaysia and eventually flows into the Straits of Malacca. It is approximately 120 km in length and drains a basin of about 1288 square kilometres. Klang River has 11 major tributaries.
Given the fact that the river flows through Klang Valley
Klang Valley
Klang Valley is an area in Malaysia comprising Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs, and adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. An alternative reference to this would be Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Area or Greater Kuala Lumpur. It is geographically delineated by Titiwangsa Mountains to the...
which is a heavily populated area of more than four million people, it is considerably polluted. Heavy development has narrowed certain stretches of the river until it resembles a large storm drain
Storm drain
A storm drain, storm sewer , stormwater drain or drainage well system or simply a drain or drain system is designed to drain excess rain and ground water from paved streets, parking lots, sidewalks, and roofs. Storm drains vary in design from small residential dry wells to large municipal systems...
. This contributes to flash flood
Flash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields...
s in Kuala Lumpur, especially after heavy rain.
Klang River was used to be called Sungai Seleh.
Course
Klang River originates in the highlands, 25 km northeast of Kuala Lumpur. It is joined by 11 major tributaries. These include Gombak RiverGombak River
The Gombak River is a river which flows through Selangor and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. It is a tributary of the Klang River. The point where it meets the Klang River is the origin of Kuala Lumpur's name....
, Batu River, Kerayong River, Damansara River
Damansara River
The Damansara River is a river in Selangor state, Malaysia. It runs from Sungai Buloh until Shah Alam.-Name in other languages:According to multilingual sign near the river, it is written as* Sungai Damansara in Malay...
, Keruh River, Kuyoh River, Penchala River and Ampang River
Ampang River
Ampang River is a river in Selangor, Malaysia....
. It flows into the Straits of Malacca to the west.
Places named after the river
The river's confluence with the Gombak RiverGombak River
The Gombak River is a river which flows through Selangor and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. It is a tributary of the Klang River. The point where it meets the Klang River is the origin of Kuala Lumpur's name....
gave rise to the name of Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia's capital city. Kuala Lumpur means "muddy estuary". It is also thought that Klang
Klang
Klang , formerly known as Kelang, is the royal city and former capital of the state of Selangor, Malaysia. It is located within the Klang District in Klang Valley. It is located about 32 km to the west of Kuala Lumpur and 6 km east of Port Klang...
town is named after the river.
Cities and towns on its banks
Kuala Lumpur is situated at the point where Gombak River flows into Klang River. It then flows south of the city of Petaling Jaya. Further downstream, the river flows through Selangor's state capital, Shah AlamShah Alam
Shah Alam is the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighboring Klang District. It is located about west of the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur. Shah Alam replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selangor in 1978...
. Klang
Klang
Klang , formerly known as Kelang, is the royal city and former capital of the state of Selangor, Malaysia. It is located within the Klang District in Klang Valley. It is located about 32 km to the west of Kuala Lumpur and 6 km east of Port Klang...
town is situated on the lower stretches of the river.
Malaysia's biggest sea port, Port Klang
Port Klang
Port Klang is a town and the main gateway by sea into Malaysia. Colonially known as Port Swettenham, it is also the location of the largest and busiest port in the country. As such, its economic progress has been greatly influenced by the port activities in its area...
, is also situated at the estuary of Klang river.
Dams
There are two major dams upstream of the river; Batu DamBatu Dam
Batu Dam is one of the major dams of Klang Valley located in Selangor, Malaysia. The dam is a water supply dam. The dam holding capacity is 30,199 million litres. The Sungai Batu water treatment plant produces 114 million litres per day of treated water, 23.7 of which is used in industrial...
and Klang Gates Dam
Klang Gates Dam
Klang Gates Dam, is located in Taman Melawati, a suburb of the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The dam is the first reservoir in Malaysia and it was opened in 1958....
, which provide water supply to the people of Klang Valley and mitigate floods.
Wildlife
Some individuals swear that crocodiles inhabit certain spots in the river. However these have been proven to be water yowies. Saltwater crocodileSaltwater Crocodile
The saltwater crocodile, also known as estuarine or Indo-Pacific crocodile, is the largest of all living reptiles...
s were present within the Klang River until relatively recently (the past century) and are still found in isolated regions of peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
.
Privatisation
The maintenance of Klang River will be privatised in the near future. A thirty-year concession will be awarded to a private company, which is expected to clean and beautify the river from 2006 to 2010. The maintenance cost of the river will be fully borne by the company in return for the permission to harvest river sand and sustainable commercial development.Kuala Lumpur Flood Mitigation
Kuala Lumpur Floor Mitigationhttp://www.nre.gov.my/opencms/opencms/NRE/EN/Services/Water/flood.html is a project to mitigate flash floods from Gombak RiverGombak River
The Gombak River is a river which flows through Selangor and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. It is a tributary of the Klang River. The point where it meets the Klang River is the origin of Kuala Lumpur's name....
into a few stormwater ponds located in Batu, Jinjang and Kepong.
SMART Tunnel
The SMART Tunnel (Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel) functions as an innovative solution to mitigating 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 Klang River, to Taman Desa Lake, which is near Kerayong River (one of Klang River's tributaries). Water flow can also go the opposite direction, from Kerayong River to Klang River. SMART opened in May 2007.Clean Up Efftorts
In 2010 SelangorSelangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
has a stimulus bill that included money to help rehabilitate it. The rivers condition has been described a s"between critical and bad" by Gareth Jones of Wessex Water which 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.
The project has been estimated take 15 years and attract 15 billion dollars worth of investments.