KLANG: Volunteers, residents and state government agencies are all involved in a cleaning frenzy to rid Shah Alam, especially Taman Sri Muda, of the remnants of the recent floodwaters.

       Besides getting rid of damaged furniture and appliances, residents were also busy scrubbing their homes of mud.

       Balram Tikaram Kami, who lives in Taman Sri Muda, one of the worst-hit areas in Selangor, said although he and his family had managed to clean their semi- detached house of the filth that was brought in by the floodwaters, the house was terribly stained.

       “We are constantly rewashing to remove the smudges in the lower floor of our house which had been completely inundated,” said Balram.

       He added that all their damaged furniture and appliances had to be carted away for disposal.

       Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad said many members of the public from outside the area were working alongside government agencies and local residents in the large-scale post-flood clean-up.

       “Many roller bins, lorries and excavators have been placed in the area and volunteers from as far as Perak, Johor and Kelantan are here to help out too,” he said.

       Khalid added that Shah Alam City Hall had also opened a temporary dumpsite at Section 21, Shah Alam, for garbage disposal.

       “Because of the temporary dumpsite, each lorry can make three or four trips daily.

       “If they had to bring the trash all the way to the landfill in Jeram, they would only be able to make one or two trips daily,” he noted.

       The MP said he was unaware of the actual quantum of the garbage, but believed the place would be cleared in about a week.

       Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari had said on Monday that some 13,699 tonnes of rubbish had been collected since cleaning operations started.

       He added that more than RM369mil had been spent on post-flood relief work including cleaning up.