The upgraded playground in Taman Bukit Kajang Baru is seldom used due to its dirty surroundings. The road verge is filled with dried leaves and garden waste, some of which fall into the drains and clog them. — Photos: LOW LAY PHON/The Star
RESIDENTS in Taman Bukit Kajang Baru want the Kajang Municipal Council’s (MPKj) cleaning contractors to improve their quality of service.
During a visit by StarMetro, dried leaves and garden waste were seen strewn along the road verge, trapping water during rain and creating a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. And some of the waste were even inside the drains, clogging them.
Resident V. Vivehananthan, 55, speaking on behalf of all the residents, said one of the worst affected places in the neighbourhood was a children’s playground that was recently refurbished.
While the residents were grateful for the upgrade, he said many families avoided taking their children to the playground for fear of getting bitten by mosquitoes.
“The facilities are good but the dirty environment surrounding the playground is a deterrent.
“Next to the playground is a vacant plot filled with undergrowth and rubbish,” he said.
Despite the sweepers coming around, Vivehananthan said they did not do a good job.
“Most of the trees along the road verge were planted by the developer and had been handed over to the municipal council to be maintained.
“MPKj-appointed contractors should ensure that all the leaves and branches that fall from these trees are swept up and cleared, but this is not done properly.”
He also called on MPKj to be more proactive in tackling such issues and not wait for the public to complain.
“If MPKj is short of manpower to oversee the quality of work by the cleaning contractors, perhaps they can engage with volunteer-residents to check on their behalf.
“There have been a few dengue cases in the neighbourhood and the residents are very concerned about the dirty state of the surroundings,” he added.
Residents are also concerned about the growing traffic congestion along Jalan Bukit.
They claimed that new developments along the road were adding to the congestion, and the situation was going from bad to worse.
Long-time resident Khoo Khee Peng, 74, said the roads were already badly congested during the peak hours.
“We are wondering what it will be like in the future as two apartment projects consisting of more than 1,400 units will be ready for occupancy soon.
“We are also concerned about the possibility of haphazard parking along Jalan Bukit, which can worsen the situation.
“MPKj needs to see what can be done to improve traffic flow in the area,” Khoo added.
Vivehananthan said the residents protested against new development projects on Jalan Bukit back in 2018 but their objections were not heard.
“We want to see the traffic, social and environmental impact assessment reports,” he said, adding that the residents want to know the manner these projects were approved.”
MPKj has yet to respond to StarMetro regarding the complaints as at press time.
