Clogged drains in Taman Sri Muda pose health risk

Vijayakumar (left) and Mogan say a monsoon drain along Persiaran Budiman in Taman Sri Muda has stagnant water. — Photos: S.S.KANESAN/The Star

Residents are worried about drains filled with rubbish in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam turning into an Aedes mosquito breeding ground.

They are urging the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) to step in and clear the rubbish.

Taman Sri Muda Resident Association (RA) chairman Mogan Thangabelu said water in the drains was stagnant.

“Drains at Zone A of Taman Sri Muda are clogged with rubbish and dried leaves.

“Mosquitoes can breed in the stagnant water and if it rains, water levels can rise rapidly.

“We do not want another round of flooding in the area after the major flood in December last year,” he said.

During a recent site visit by StarMetro, stagnant water was seen in a monsoon drain along Jalan Abadi 25/58 and railings surrounding the drains were damaged.

Similarly, drains along Jalan Tenang 25/54 and Jalan Ilham 25/53 were clogged.

Worms were spotted inside a plastic bottle thrown into a drain.

The drainage wall next to Andorra Apartment is starting to collapse.

Along the main road of Persiaran Budiman, damaged drains were seen near Andorra Apartment.

Mogan, who also heads the Communication for Behavioural Impact (Combi) programme in Taman Sri Muda, said 146 dengue cases had been reported here as of April 18.

Combi is an approach that controls and prevents the spread of disease through community empowerment.

Taman Sri Muda RA vice-chairman R. Vijayakumar said a temporary trench had been created to channel rainwater from Persiaran Budiman into the monsoon drain.

“Soil was dug up but contractors did not lay concrete to form the ditch. Now, it is an eyesore and a safety hazard to pedestrians,” he said.

Recently, Bernama reported that RM150mil had been allocated by MBSA for drainage and retention pond upgrades over the next three years to address flood issues.

Shah Alam mayor Datuk Zamani Ahmad Mansor said neighbourhoods such as Taman Sri Muda, Section 13, Taman Mesra and TTDI Jaya would be prioritised for drainage upgrades.

When contacted, an MBSA spokesperson said the city council had ordered KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd to clean the drains.