BY VINCENT TAN

Members of the public voicing their concerns and viewpoints about the project and other local issues after the presentation proper about the upcoming drainage upgrade works in Jalan Othman, Jalan Dispensary and Jalan Pasar.

RESIDENTS and stakeholders from three roads in Petaling Jaya were briefed about the drainage upgrade in Jalan Othman, Jalan Pasar 1/21 and Jalan Dispensary 2/38, is aimed at eliminating flash floods in the Jalan Othman-Jalan Pasar area.

“The current drain channels were built to only collect rainwater back then, and given the current rainfall, this is not enough to disperse the additional amount of water,” said Petaling Jaya City Council senior assistant engineering director Ahmad Roslan Hairudin.

He said the project would involve 230m of drainage channel in all three roads, costing nearly RM500,000.

He noted one of the problems faced by the council was traders encroaching onto the drain reserve.

“We have already issued notices to the traders whose awnings or other items are on the drain reserve, to remove their belongings, as the project starts today,” he added.

Rather than digging up the whole channel and later filling it with the concrete version, the council will be doing the upgrade in a section-by-section method, to minimise long-term disruption, the stakeholders were told.

The new design is planned to last for 25 years.

Bukit Gasing assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran said, aside from the Jalan Othman-Jalan Pasar-Jalan Dispensary area, there were other flash flood areas nearby such as Section 1A Jalan Carey, Section 18 and Taman Kanagapuram.

During the dialogue, residents also brought up other issues such as uncut grass on the KTMB reserve land along Jalan Railway, voicing concerns about the possibility of snakes and mosquitoes breeding there.

Jalan Othman resident James Wong was unhappy with the piled up rubbish in a drain next to his house along the main road, adjacent to the upcoming drainage upgrade site.

PJ Old Town Residents Association chairman Yap Kin Kiong, said Old Town never experienced flash floods from the time he was born.

“Last time, everyone’s house or garden had grass and trees to absorb the water.

“But if you tile and cement over everything, where is the water going to flow other than the drains, which are too small,” said Yap.