Residents fear soil fissures near previously repaired site sign of another collapse
Fresh cracks have appeared along another section of the retaining wall near Block C at Taman United Flats in Jalan Sepadu 7, Kuala Lumpur.
The incident comes only months after a collapse in the same area forced dozens of families to evacuate.
Residents are worried a second slope failure might happen if the authorities do not take proactive action.
The affected stretch, they said, was not part of the earlier temporary stabilisation works.
The residents say there had been signs of worsening soil erosion following weeks of downpours in the city.
Consequently parts of the slope have collapsed, leaving a gaping void between the soil embankment and concrete edge, as rainwater continued to wash mud downhill into the flats below.
Some questioned why permanent repairs were still nowhere in sight.
Resident Vivekananthan Segran, 34, said water was now pooling outside his doorstep, sparking dengue fears and other health risks for families there.
The father-of-four said he had taken two of his children, including a newborn, to the hospital for lung infection which he believed was aggravated by dusty conditions around the damaged slope.
He urged authorities to prioritise residents’ safety and well-being before conditions worsen.
“I am scared every time it rains.
“I need Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to take this seriously,” he said.
On Nov 24 last year, a 60m stretch of retaining wall collapsed near Block C, forcing the evacuation of residents from 52 units.
Although residents were allowed to return on Jan 1 after a DBKL-appointed consultant declared the slope stable following a geotechnical assessment, many remained concerned as only temporary stabilisation works had been carried out.
Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan, who chairs the parliamentary monitoring committee on road works, flood mitigation and slope management, had said the consultant was supposed to propose a permanent solution by the end of February.
Kong Ah Lan, 70, who lives on the ground floor, said runoff from the damaged slope frequently carried mud and water into his doorway, forcing him to clean up after every downpour.
“At my age, it is very tiring,” said Kong who also is taking care of his 88-year-old mother.
“Getting in and out of the house has become difficult, especially when the area is muddy and slippery,” he added.
Kong said that while residents understood that temporary works had been carried out on the retaining wall, they questioned why permanent repairs were still pending after five months.
Now, new cracks had started to appear in other parts of the slope, he noted.
“DBKL should repair the wall properly,” he said.
“Leaving it halfway during the rainy season is making life harder for residents, especially the elderly,” he added.
When contacted, Zahir told StarMetro that a meeting on the matter would be held tomorrow and updates would be provided later.
