Over 1,000 trees along DASH highway to be felled

PETALING Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has confirmed that about 1,100 trees of varying sizes will be removed from the Damansara-Shah Alam Highway (DASH) elevated expressway’s portion running through the city.

Previously, residents in PJU 8 Damansara Perdana had highlighted notice boards put up by the city council, stating that 160 trees would be cut down along Jalan PJU 8/1 and PJU 8/2 for the highway.

When asked why the council did not consider relocating the trees, Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohd Azizi Mohd Zain explained that the cost of relocation was not economical.

“If these trees are too big, it is not easy or cheap to relocate them,” said Mohd Azizi, who was attending various events in Kota Damansara yesterday.

He assured that as one of the conditions for the project’s approval, the highway developer Prolintas was required to replant two trees for every tree cut down to make way for the alignment.

Mohd Azizi, along with Selangor Plantation Workers, Poverty and Caring Government Committee chairman V. Ganabatirau and State Assembly Speaker Hannah Yeoh, launched an urban vegetable garden at the Section 8 PPR flats as part of MBPJ’s “Kebun Kita” programme.

There are currently 19 vegetable plots at the PPR, each plot shared among two to four households from the flats’ Block A and B.

The one-hectare land, previously left abandoned and used as an illegal rubbish dump, was cleared for the vegetable plots.

Other parts of the empty land belonging to Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS), are being used for agriculture by squatters, which Mohd Azizi said would be dealt with in due course.

Non-governmental organisation Friends of Kota Damansara (FOKD) chairman Jeffery Phang said residents and participating NGOs also planned to build a soup kitchen.

FOKD members were seen busy registering residents for a free Wi-Fi trial programme, which Phang said would run for two months, to discourage youngsters at the PPR from straying to cybercafes. He said a nominal fee would eventually be charged.

Norazira Anuar, who has been living with her husband and children at the PPR for three years, said they were advised to plant fast-growing crops such as water spinach, tomatoes and lemongrass.

“Each of us who have a share in the plots need to make sure we do our part in weeding and watering the crops,” she said.

She added that, as per an agreement under the Kebun Kita programme, residents would set aside 20% of the harvested crops for the upcoming soup kitchen to help the poorer residents at the flats.

“Vegetables are getting expensive these days,” said Norazira, whose household income is only RM1,760 a month.

Another resident, who wished to be known only as Salmiah, said the vegetable garden would be fully organic.

“One trick is to keep the onion and garlic peelings, blend them together with some water and spray the vegetables with this mix, which seems to drive certain insects away,” she explained.