Monday November 9, 2009
A disaster waiting to happen
By SHAUN HO
KUALA LUMPUR: Residents of a neighbourhood in Batu Caves may be living on the brink of a disaster. Their apartment block is perched on a slope that is gradually being washed away following the endless recent downpours.
The 18-floor medium-cost homes called Lakeview Apartment in Taman Jasa Perwira is right next to Taman Jasa Utama, where mud and soil flowed into a number of houses on Saturday evening following a landslip.
When The Star visited the area yesterday, the embankment below Block A of the Taman Jasa Perwira apartments was clearly being affected by erosion.
Resident Ahmad Jefry, 31, said he had related the problem to the developer last month and was told that the situation would be fixed.
Hill of danger: A block of flats standing precariously near a rockfall area at Taman Jasa Perwira.The residents on both sides are living in fear. — ABDUL RAHMAN SENIN / The Star For now, the cooperative officer is not particularly perturbed because his unit is located slightly further away from the slope.
He estimated that about 30 units in Block A were already occupied by residents, adding that he planned to move into his newly-bought apartment there soon.
“I am not particularly worried,” he said.
Other residents were somewhat anxious about the situation but some were still blissfully unaware of the erosion although their parking lot sits right atop the slope.
They said that they had not noticed the erosion before.
Now, though, they were getting worried.
Workers looking down a hill at houses below which were affected by the landslip on Saturday night. Construction work on another apartment block is currently ongoing, which led to questions on why the project was allowed to continue under such circumstances.
“Wasn’t there supposed to be a freeze on all hillside development after the Bukit Antarabangsa tragedy last year?” asked civil engineer Manivelu M. Tanapal, 45.
Manivelu, who has been living there for five years, claimed that two other blocks had been approved although construction had not begun.
He also said the developer should ensure the safety of the neighbouring areas as well.
“Although they sent workers to clean up the soil, they should have ensured the safety of the neighbouring areas when they started construction,” he said, referring to Taman Jasa Utama.
These residents live a stone’s throw away from Taman Jasa Utama where homeowners were affected by Saturday’s landslip.
A group of dwellers from Taman Jasa Utama is planning to set up an action committee to ensure a collective voice in highlighting their plight to the authorities.
Resident Mohd Kamarulfahim Abu Hassan, 35, said that 14 households living on the affected road had agreed to the idea as they feared for their safety.
“We have not discussed what action we will take but we are planning to form the committee,” said the civil servant.
Another resident, Mohd Yusof Hussain, 52, said that there had never been any landslips during the 20 years he lived there.
“We were lucky no lives were lost that evening,” he said.
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