A MONSOON drain along the back lane of Jalan 2/3a in Pusat Bandar Utara Selayang, Kuala Lumpur, has been turned into a dumping ground for unsold vegetables and other waste from nearby shops.
Community activist Yee Poh Ping claimed that the guard rails along the drain, which runs parallel to Jalan Kuching, had been damaged by irresponsible people in the area to make it easier to dump waste there.
“Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) had previously fixed the guard rails but the rails have since been damaged again.
“The rubbish would remain in the drain when the water level is not high enough to wash it away.
“The unsold vegetables then emit a bad odour once they become rotten.
“These vegetables could have been sold to farms to be used as livestock feed or turned into fertiliser,” he pointed out.
Yee said there was not enough roll-on roll-off (RoRo) bins in the commercial area for the amount of waste generated.
“The present RoRo bins are located about four streets away, making it inconvenient for traders on Jalan 2/3a to dump their waste properly.
“The Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) should consider putting two to three extra RoRo bins at Jalan 2/3a.
“It must also make sure that concession company Alam Flora Sdn Bhd, which is responsible for public cleansing work in Kuala Lumpur, collects rubbish from the bins every day,” said Yee.
He said a lack of civic-mindedness among people was one of the reasons behind the improper waste disposal in the commercial area.
“In 2023, SWCorp distributed about 1,000 rubbish bins to shops in the commercial area.
“It also instructed Alam Flora to clean the streets daily.
“Though the situation has improved slightly, it is still not up to the mark.
“Many people here still do not care about cleanliness around their premises,” he added.
During a visit, StarMetro found that a lot of rubbish was dumped by the roadside and in the monsoon drain.
Yee said he had urged DBKL and SWCorp to work together to solve the issue.
“I suggested they instal closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to monitor the area’s cleanliness.
“The business owners should also educate their workers on being more responsible and civic-minded when it comes to cleanliness around their shops,” he added.
DBKL and SWCorp did not comment on the matter as of press time.
