The Star, Wednesday March 7, 2012
Residents claim housing development nearby affecting stability of slope
RESIDENTS of Taman Sri Timah, Balakong, are concerned
that a housing development in the area may be affecting the stability of
a slope on which a reservoir was built.
Serdang parliamentary
constituency coordinator Datuk Yap Pian Hon, who visited the site after
receiving complaints, said the ongoing earthwork had made the slope too
steep.
He said the consequences were unimaginable if the exposed part of the slope caved in.
“We
are not against development but it must not be at the expense of
damaging public amenities,” he said, adding that he had written to the
Kajang Municipal Council to find out if the developer had followed all
the safety specifications,” he added.
He said any damage to the
reservoir would have a huge impact as it was the main source of water
supply to 414 households in Taman Sri Timah.
Fragile:
(from left) Taman Sri Timah MIC Youth chairman Maganderan Rethinasamy,
Yap, Sanmugam, Mohd Zali and Dr Lai inspecting the earthwork of a
project that may be affecting the stability of a slope nearby.
He added that the water supply to the area had not been satisfactory, too.
“The
local authority must come out with a solution to stabilise this eroding
slope soon and explain why the residents are deprived of satisfactory
water supply all these years,” he said.
Serdang MCA division
chairman Datuk Dr Lai Kwong Choy said the developer should also address
the area’s flooding and parking problems partly contributed by the
project.
“Jalan Persiaran Sri Timah, which is the main road in the housing estate, is often hit by floods ever since the project began.
“The
road is always congested with cars of condominium owners parked on both
sides of the road. The development will worsen the situation when it is
ready,” he said.
Taman Sri Timah Umno chairman Mohd Zali Ab
Kadir said he was surprised that the council had allowed the earthwork
to go on without any retention wall built to prevent soil erosion.
“The developer has also promised to build a sludge settling basin but where is it?
“It floods every time it rains and residents are stranded for at least an hour,” he said.
Taman
Sri Timah MIC chief P. Kanapathy also urged the authorities to act fast
as any untoward incident could affect the lives of children studying at
a kindergarten situated near the slope.
The development, which involves the construction of 107 houses, is scheduled to be completed in July.
Yap, who is also Selangor MCA publicity chief, said he was confident that MCA could wrestle back the Balakong state seat.
He
said the statement made by Selangor executive councillor Teresa Kok
showed that she was unaware of the change in the rakyat’s preference as
many had expressed dissatisfaction over the current administration’s
performance in the past four years.
“From waste collection and
cleanliness of public places to dengue problems, the current
administration has not been able to handle these issues well,” he said.
He said he was bewildered that Kok complained about having 6,000 additional voters in Balakong.
“Haven’t they been registering new voters aggressively? Why are they complaining?
“After all, there are still one million unregistered voters in Selangor,” he said.
KYK
Development project manager Wee Kiat Hun said the developer had taken
the necessary measures to prevent soil erosion, under close monitoring
by the council.
“The slope looks steep if you view it from the top, the gradient is actually only about 45 degree, it is safe,” he said.
Resident
Sanmugam Doraisamy said the sight of the exposed steep slope near the
project site gave him sleepless nights, adding that the developer had
not attended to the matter despite his many complaints.
