MRT Corp denies causing water disruptions

Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) has denied allegations that several water disruptions were caused by its project works.

MRT Corp chief executive officer Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid in denying the claims by Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) said some of the disruptions were due to the presence of unmapped services that should have been addressed by the utility companies.

He said public utility services including water, electricity and telecommunications were mapped by utilities owners and all construction works which required temporary or permanent removal or relocation were based on maps provided by them.

"MRT Corp double-checks the data it receives from owners through scans and physical checks during the piloting works stage.

"However some utilities may not be detected by the scanners. Plastic for example isn't detected by the scanners," he said in a statement here today.

He also noted that some of the scan works had prevented service disruption, such as when they detected a major power supply cable on Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock here, which was not shown on the utility map.

Azhar also suggested that a one-stop centre for such data should be formed by the appropriate agency.

"A one-stop centre for the location of all utility services can be a boon to the construction industry.

"It will definitely enable construction projects to manage costs better, apart from reducing inconvenience to the public," he said.

Yesterday, Syabas claimed that there were 16 cases of burst pipes caused by the MRT/Light Rail Transit (LRT) project works recorded this year and eight cases last year. - Bernama