Landslides main worry of Ampang Jaya folk

Some of the double-storey houses affected by the landslide along Jalan Kemensah Heights.

THE year may have started out relatively quiet for Ampang Jaya folk in Selangor, but the past few months have proved to be a challenging one indeed.

Several natural disasters and the effects of the continuous rain on Dec 17 wreaked havoc and strained resources of the communities affected.

Natural or man-made?

Three major incidents rocked the community this year, with some blaming it on Mother Nature, while others said it was the effects of development.

On Sept 17, a landslide in Kemensah Heights forced the evacuation of more than 100 residents.

It affected three bungalows and 12 townhouses. No casualty was reported.

Initially, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan had said that illegal renovations by houseowners had triggered this.

But some said the hill could have collapsed due to the diverging of Sungai Kemensah that flowed at the foot of the hill.

Coalition of Kemensah and Melawati Residents Associations chairman Mohd Fazil Abdullah told StarMetro that the landslide should be a wake-up call to the authorities for careful planning.

He called on the authorities to control the type of developments allowed on hillslopes.

Later, Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) would carry out slope stabilisation and upgrading works at Sungai Kemensah estimated to cost RM10mil.

Selangor government also said that it would take up to three months for slope strengthening and stabilisation works to be completed, at an estimated cost of RM6mil.

Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) president Mohd Fauzi Mohd Yatim told StarMetro that the council was still monitoring the site for earth movements.

“Soil investigations into the groundwater content are being carried out. The state will then determine the next course of action.

Residents cleaning up their homes five days after flash floods hit Kampung Lembah Jaya Utara.

“The residents of the three bungalow lots are still not able to move back in until repairs are done,” he said.

On Nov 22, a flash flood in Kampung Lembah Jaya Utara saw 260 homes affected, involving nearly 1,200 people.

Several areas were submerged in floodwaters measuring as deep as 1.5m, after a downpour that lasted for several hours.

Ampang MP Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin had said that a landslide from a nearby highway construction project into Sungai Ampang had caused the river to become shallow.

She alleged that the river could not handle the large quantity of runoff water, which was why it overflowed and caused mud floods in the nearby area.

This was refuted by the highway concessionaire, who attributed the incident to the unusually high rainfall.

MPAJ instructed the highway developer to improve its flood prevention measures following the incident, including erosion and sediment control plans.

Mohd Fauzi promises that MPAJ will provide the best to ratepayers.

The developer is also urged to deepen Sungai Ampang and carry out desilting work at several spots of the river as well as cover the exposed areas with grass.

Mohd Fauzi said they were able to manage the situation with the help of other agencies and local councils.

Although the major flash floods affecting parts of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur on Dec 18 was not felt severely in Ampang Jaya, there were, however, landslides, landslips and fallen trees reported at the time.

Eye on development

The draft for the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council Local Plan 2035 (RT MPAJ) is set to replace RT MPAJ 2020 that was gazetted in 2011 after going through two amendments (in 2013 and 2016).

While the draft was supposed to have been ready by July this year, the date was pushed back because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The community had been vocal in urging the local council to incorporate stakeholders’ input into the draft before it was presented to the public.

One plan that riled up the community was the proposal for a crematorium to be built in Bukit Antarabangsa, which would be the first such facility in Ampang Jaya.

MPAJ proposed to build the crematorium on a 4ha land in between Taman Wangsa Ukay and Taman Andaman Ukay, which is currently gazetted as a Chinese/Buddhist burial site.

While MPAJ said this was merely a proposal and a detailed feasibility study would be carried out. The community will certainly be keeping a close watch.

As Selangor speeds up its digitalisation efforts through its Smart Selangor plan, MPAJ has joined in by upgrading its customer-based services.

In August, MPAJ launched its iComm MPAJ app as another way for ratepayers to pay their assessment and traffic compounds.

The app was meant to complement the council’s existing web-based Intelligent Community Online System (iComm).

However, some users said the app had too many glitches and was not user-friendly.

“While we understand that the community is still feeling the effects of the pandemic, we hope residents will continue to fulfil their responsibilities, as MPAJ will continue to provide our best services,” said Mohd Fauzi.