SHAH ALAM, September 3 - The Selangor government through Lembaga Urus Air Selangor (LUAS) has started to reduce the storage capacity of its reservoirs since August 16 as a precautionary measure against the Northeast Monsoon (MTL) expected to begin this November.

Selangor State Infrastructure and Agriculture Committee, Izham Hashim said that this initiative, scheduled to end on September 30, involves seven reservoirs under LUAS’s supervision.

The aim is to reduce the storage capacity to 90 percent, except the Klang Gates dam, which will be reduced to 85 percent.

“This strategy aims to provide sufficient space for each dam in preparations for high rainfall intensity, as well as to prevent overflowing that could cause flooding in downstream areas,” he said in a statement.

Izham added, the control of water release will be reviewed based on weather changes starting October 1, with the target of ensuring its storage does not exceed 95 percent for all dams, except for the Klang Gates dam which will be kept at 90 percent capacity before December 15.

Based on LUAS records, there was a four percent increase in water storage capacity at the Klang Gates dam after heavy rain on August 12, but it did not cause an overflowing.