The pools of water in this underground parking lots in Sembulan are a safety hazard.
The management company (MC) of a Sembulan commercial centre has been instructed to deal with the ponding problem in the parking area beneath the property which occurs, from time to time, during a downpour.An elderly motorist noticed patches of water in the underground parking when he went to the centre on a weekday a few months ago.
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The driver almost slipped and fell while walking from his car to the basement of an adjoining shopping centre.
He provided Hotline with the location of the commercial centre which was forwarded to City Hall.
A spokeswoman for the agency said the MC was alerted to the driver’s grievance shortly thereafter.
“The firm was asked to take steps to address the drainage woe and ensure that the basement was not hazardous to the public after, or during, a downpour,” she said.
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“The MC was given a grace-period in which to comply with our instructions.”
She said City Hall staff failed to find any evidence of water collecting in the parking area below the building, when a follow-up inspection was made on a Monday afternoon in December.
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When asked if it had been raining, or had rained, when this check was carried out, the spokeswoman declined to comment.
“We were made to understand that the company has sought the advice of a contractor on how to prevent the run-off from pooling in the basement.
“We also called on the MC to step up efforts to maintain the gutters on the upper floors of the property.”
The spokeswoman said the agency would periodically monitor the goings-on at the commercial centre to determine if the safety hazards in the basement had been dealt with effectively.
GOH of Likas said the run-off collected in sections of the basement for the property.
The senior citizen, in his 60’s, said this made the area around the parking lots slippery.
“I suspect that the ponding problem has been happening for some time as I noticed patches of fungus on the floor,” he said.
He admitted that it had been raining at the time that he went to the commercial centre.
“Even so, I couldn’t figure out how the run-off was getting in as I did not see or hear any water rushing into the basement.
“I think this might be a case of damaged gutters or a leaking pipe from the upper floors.”
Thankfully, he had not been alone when he went to the centre, according to him.
“The friend, who I was with, grabbed me when I lost my balance. If not for his quick reflexes, I would have surely lost my balance and fallen on my back.”
Goh feared that others might not be so lucky.
“I hate to imagine what might happen if someone with a limp or an expectant mum were to slip while walking through the basement.”
He hoped the local authorities would take steps to improve the maintenance of the gutters and drains around the building.
Goh said action needed be taken to prevent the basement from getting unnecessarily wet.
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“The relevant parties should also consider having a layer of ‘epoxy paint’ applied to the floor for the underground parking.
“This will prevent fungus from forming on the floor and provide a non-slip surface.”