Part of reserve drain fenced off
Published on: Saturday, November 28, 2020
By: Sidney Skinner
.jpg "Part of reserve drain fenced off")
A coop has been put up inside the fenced-off area of the government land.
CITY Hall will check on the condition of the common backyard drain in a Kolombong neighbourhood, after a ratepayer noticed that part of the reserve land on either side of this structure had been fenced off.A City Hall spokeswoman said the agency would have to verify this claim.
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“Any ratepayer who has encroached onto government land will be asked to remove the illegal structures they have put up,” she said.
“Their inconsiderate action will prevent our workers from properly fulfilling their responsibilities to tend to the drain and grass in the area,” she said, adding the errant party would be given a grace period to comply with City Hall’s instruction.
“A notice to this affect will be given to the homeowner in question.
“Should the structures still remain after this, then further action will be taken.”
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When asked to elaborate on the nature of this “action,” she said the agency might consider sending its staff to dismantle the fence.
“If it comes to this, then we will only be able to carry a demolition once the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) has been lifted.
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“We want to avoid any personal interaction between our staff and the public, for the time being, to minimise the risk of our personnel catching the coronavirus.”
The agency’s action was prompted by a ratepayer’s displeasure about the stench coming from the drain.
The individual claimed that it was more than just a case of the water inside becoming stagnant because the structure was blocked.
He claimed that the drain was also clogged with poultry droppings and feathers as a coop had been put up on the fenced off section of the reserve land.
The resident provided Hotline with the location of the drain in question. This information was forwarded to City Hall.
A spokesman for the agency said a preliminary investigation would be made to determine whether there was indeed a stench coming from the area where the poultry was supposedly being reared.
This Kolombong drain reserve has been fenced off as evidenced by the gate (arrow) which has been put up.
He said the most the agency’s staff could do while the CMCO was in effect.
“Any work involving face-to-face exchanges with our ratepayers has been temporarily suspended,” he said.
“Any inspections, where such meetings are involved, will be taken up once the CMCO has been lifted.”
Until this happened, he said, City Hall staff would periodically monitor the goings-on in the area.
“If there is a basis for the nuisance, then they will arrange to speak with the poultry owner after the CMCO is over.”
The spokesman said, in such an instance, the individual would be instructed to stop rearing the birds.
In September, City Hall warned a Luyang poultry owner that he/she risked being slapped with a RM1,000 fine if he/she continued rearing chickens in his/her home.
The spokesman said this action could be taken under Section 49 C(5) of the Local Government Ordinance (Amendments) 2000.
“The poultry owner risks being taken to court if he/she fails to comply with our instructions,” he said.
“He/she could be fined or serve a six months’ jail term, or both, if found guilty.”
NYET of Kolombong said gates had been put in place on either side of the drain beyond his backyard fence.
He said a coop for chickens and ducks was later built on the reserved land which had been cordoned off.
He said flies drawn to the bird droppings had been seen buzzing about his house, much to the frustration of him and his wife.
Nyet bemoaned the stench from the poultry’s faeces.
“The stink is especially intolerable at night and when it rains heavily,” he said.
“We have to keep the doors and windows in this part of homes closed to prevent the smell from entering our homes.”
Nyet wanted to know whether the City Hall allowed poultry to be kept within a housing area.
“On top of this, how could the individual get away with occupying land which belongs to the authority?”
He claimed to have posed these questions to City Hall in October, but had yet to receive an official response to his queries.
On top of this, Nyet said the water inside the drain was stagnating because it could not be cleaned from end to end.
“I fear that the structure has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes as I have noticed more and more these insects buzzing about my home.”
He said the drain overflowed flooding his backyard during a downpour, giving him the added headache of having to clean up the mud left behind in his compound after the water had dried up.
“I have noticed that the water inside does not recede even when the weather gets hot.
“I suspect that the structure may be blocked because it cannot be thoroughly desludged.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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