FOUL STORM DRAIN NEEDED CLEARING

THICK..... drains filled with thick mud and giving out foul smell.

THE RESIDENT living around the stretch of the big storm drain starting from Land Breeze Garden to Taman Fortuna and especially the Taman Mesra in Penampang had suffered from the unpleasant and foul smell emitting from the thick mud piled up in the big drain.

The residents have asked for the help from the Kota Kinabalu Member of Parliament Hiew King Cheu to seek immediate action from the department concerned. In this case it is the Jabatan Parit dan Saluran (JPS) who is in charge of maintaining the said drain.

According to the people here, the foul smell keeps on blowing into their house and created discomfort and upset. It is unbearable at times that they have to temporary vacant their homes. They said even though they close all the window did not help at all. They said they are actually living next to a pile of rubbish dump.

When Hiew contacted the person in charge in JPS, he was told that the department will mobilize their contractors to clear the mud and dirt from inside the said storm drains in 2 weeks time.

By then they hope the foul smell will go and the complaint solved. The foul smell is aggravated by the inflow of foul raw sewerage water from the housing estates around here.

It is a common knowledge that 70% of the Kota Kinabalu raw sewerage water ended up in the storm drains. It is observed that the dirty water flowing in the storm drain here is mostly sewerage water.

Hiew question why the Department of Environment did not take action and to ensure our own backyard is kept clean and free from any pollution and contamination. There is no use to fine the people and drivers on their cars emitting little smokes, while we have serious pollution caused by the undoing of the government. We know our sea and rivers are polluted, what is the government going to do about it?

These storm drains must have proper de-silting points, so that regular digging up of the silt and mud deposit can be done and carried away. This particular design feature was not incorporated in the construction of the drains.

Thus causing the drains faced great difficulties in clearing of the mud and debris collected. The storm drains are never dry and the water is always stagnant in it. If the huge pumps and tide gates were installed to keep the drain dry, there wouldn’t be any problems of foul smell.

A good example can be seen in many parts of Singapore, their drains can be used to ride bicycles and play badminton. It is dry, clean and no mud in it.

We must maintain our drains to proper level and to install the pumps and tidal gates in the few drain outlets is compulsory. The BN government had been talking but we see no action.

Where has the allocated money gone to? Janji tidak ditepati, empty promises! We shall see flood happening again in many parts of Kota Kinabalu soon if the rainy season sets in again. After three decades the problem still cannot be sorted out, what can we expect from them? (DAP Media)