BY YVONNE T. NATHAN
The force of water gushing from the burst water tank pushed part of the wall out, which came crashing down on apartment units of Cheras Utama apartments, Block 2.
After a water tank atop a Cheras Utama apartment block broke on May 2, causing water and rubble to cascade down and damage the units below, the apartment's joint management body (JMB) said it did not have the funds to replace the damaged tank.
And neither could it afford to replace the tanks in the other two blocks, which may also be in danger of giving way.
The JMB's representative Naim Ishak said they only collected RM75 a month from each resident, with the money collected going towards maintenance and security.
“We discussed the issue with Kajang Municipal Council (MPKJ), whose representatives came for a site visit with the Selangor Exco Datuk Iskandar Abdul Samad in the afternoon.
“The water tanks are already at a critical stage and in need of replacement, so we have asked for an allocation of funds from the Selangor Housing and Property Board.
“We were informed that they are assisting us with 60% of the necessary replacement costs, and our JMB is expected to pay the other 40% in instalments," Naim said.
He added that the residents were placing their hopes on help from the state government as they just did not have the means.
Although there were no casualties in yesterday's incident, residents are now fearful of another water tank giving way at the other blocks after large pieces of rubble fell on units below the tank as well as on the children’s playground nearby following the collapse of the water tank.
“The water tank has been around for more than 11 years and had been repaired more than five times already,” said resident Khairul Nizam Ismail, 44.
“It was undergoing minor repairs, with a major repair scheduled for today (May 3), but it burst before that because of a small crack, which became bigger due to the water pressure," said Khairul, who was helping to erect a temporary wall using plywood and canvas for his neighbour Mohd Adzmi Othman, 48, whose apartement unit on the 12th storey bore the brunt of the damage.
The falling wall pushed in Mohd Adzmi’s living room roof and window at 1am on May 2, and water from the tank rushed into the apartment and rose almost to knee-level.
Mohd Adzmi Othman, 48, looking at the damage done to his window and roof as a result of the burst water tank.
“There are cracks on the outside wall, and I'm worried that the remaining roof will give way," sid Mohd Azmi.
“I have not dared to turn on any of my electrical devices like modem or Astro either because they are still wet,” he said showing a DVD player dripping with water.
His wife Rabeattul Adawiah Yahya, 42, added that she was woken in the early hours of the morning by a deafening sound.
“I thought the whole building was collapsing, and when I got to the living room, the force of the water had pushed all our furniture to the main door, trapping us inside with the rising water.
“My son usually sleeps in the living room but luckily he wasn't that night as the roof tiles and glass from the windows were knocked into the room.
“They cannot wait until after another tank bursts and there is a victim before replacing it,” Rabeattul said.
She estimated the cost of repairs to their apartment at around RM50,000, with no one to claim the money from.
When contacted, the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry’s corporate communications head Norhayati Abd Manaf said the issue was under the JMB’s jurisdiction.
“We only enforce the duties of the JMB under the Maintenance and Management Act but the maintenance itself is the JMB’s responsibility.
“Because residents are paying the JMB, the contract is between them, but residents can make complaints if necessary.
She added that there was an enforcement team overseeing the duties of JMBs.
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