City Hall has cleared the common backyard drains in one part of the Dah Yeh Villa, following a complaint about the stench coming from these structures.A spokesman for the City Hall’s Landscaping Department said an inspection was made of the area shortly after the agency learned about this problem.ADVERTISEMENT
“Some of the drains, off Lorong Kenawai 4a, were filled with water vegetation during this check,” he said.
“Our workers returned a week later to clean the affected structures.”
“On top of removing the weeds which had grown inside, they also had the drains de-silted.”
He said its personnel could not attend to this work any earlier partly because many of them were tied up with Covid-related tasks.ADVERTISEMENT
MARVIN, who owns a corner lot in the Dah Yeh Villa area, said the drains around his home appeared to be poorly maintained.
“They have not been cleared in some time and is full of sediment,” he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
“This debris has built up inside which provides the perfect habitat for shrubs and other plants.”
He said the grass either side of the drains was also overgrown.
Marvin was at a loss to understand how the relevant authority could have turned a blind eye to this situation.
He suspected that the water inside the drains had begun to stagnate.
“We have to keep the windows closest to these structures closed to prevent the foul smell from permeating our home.
“I dare not even sun my clothes behind my house because the smell will stick to my laundry.”
Marvin said he had also noticed an increase in the number of mosquitoes buzzing about his home and feared that the drain had become a breeding ground for these insects.
“One of my neighbours reported this problem to City Hall but, so far, no action has been taken to clear the drains.
“I appeal top the local authorities to do something about the drainage here as soon as possible before a massive dengue outbreak happens.
“There is no point fogging after dengue cases are reported if preventative measures, such as dealing with the drainage problem, are not going to be implemented.”
The spokesman explained that some of the activities carried out by the Landscaping Department had been suspended during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).
The spokesman said the upkeep of playgrounds and public parks had been put on hold for the time being.
“Thankfully, drain-cleaning work is still being carried out over the CMCO.
“Aside from this, our personnel are still involved in efforts to trim the grass and prune the trees in public areas.”
However, the number of workers tasked with fulfilling these responsibilities had been cut by half, according to him.
“Our manpower has been reduced by 50 per cent per the standard operating procedures which are being enforced at this time.
“As such, we hope the public will be understanding should there be any hold up in addressing their grievances.
“Given the extensiveness of our rating area, we will do our best to attend to their problems as soon as possible.”
He said the maintenance of roadside drains fell to the Government concessionaire, with cleaning work performed according to a prearranged schedule.
He said City Hall generally alerted the firm’s staff about blocked drains which were in front and side of homes within the agency’s rating area.
“This is the most that we can do as we are only responsible for clearing those drains outside the backyard,” he said.
“This work is carried out once every three months.”
Meanwhile, City Hall is looking into a Manggatal rate-payer’s claim that one of her neighbour’s may have inadvertently blocked a housing drain when he/ she renovated his/ her drive-way.
The rate-payer suspected that some concrete might have fallen into the drain when this work was done, thus impeding the flow of water inside.
As a result, the section of the drain in front of her house had become clogged with weeds and stagnant water, according to the individual.
She provided Hotline with the location of the drain in question. This information was forwarded to City Hall.
A spokesman for the agency’s Engineering Department said its personnel would have to verify the homeowner’s claim.
“A problem with the gradient for the drain might account for the problems highlighted by the rate-payer,” he said.
“If this is so, we will have to determine whether this has occurred naturally due to settlement or as a result of the modification work carried out by her neighbour.”
He said City Hall would consider the possibility of having the structure rebuilt if the former were true.
Such action, however, could only be taken once the necessary funds became available, according to him.
“In the case of the latter, her neighbour will be asked to restore the drain to its previous condition.”
He said the agency’s staff would endeavour to speak to this individual once the CMCO had been lifted.
“We have put a hold on any work involving face-to-face exchanges with the public, for the time being, as we are keen to minimise the risk of our personnel and rate-payers becoming infected by the coronavirus due to personal interaction,” he said.
The spokesman said City Hall would arrange to have the drain cleaned if it was found to be blocked with stagnant water and weeds, as the complainant alleged.
“The relevant section will be alerted about this irregularity and asked to unclog the drain as soon as possible.”
PHILO of Manggatal said water had a tendency to collect in the drain outside her front yard during a downpour, creating a nuisance for pedestrians.
“This happens even if the rain is not heavy and the water does not appear to recede, once the sun comes out again,” she said.
“The water remains for so long that a green scum and bubbles form on the surface.
“If there is a breeze or some wind, a foul smell wafts over from the pool into our homes.”
She also expressed his concern that mosquitoes might be using the pool as a breeding ground.
When asked how long she had noticed this drainage woe, Philo said the problem at the beginning of this year.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
“I suspect that the road-side drains may not have been maintained in some time.
“Either that or the culvert beneath the road may not be big enough to channel away the run off generated whenever it rains.”