RESIDENTS of Kampung Puah in Wangsa Maju are calling on Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to provide a long-term solution for soil erosion on a slope there.
One of the affected residents identified only as Ahmad said many complaints had been lodged since the 1980s but no actions have been taken.
“We built a retaining wall on our own in 1988 to strengthen the slope, but it collapsed on June 19 due to a landslide.
“Another landslide happened there two months earlier.
“To date, DBKL has only put canvas sheets on the slope.”
The affected slope is behind Ahmad’s house in Jalan Puah Dalam.
Ahmad believes there is a jurisdiction issue on who is responsible for slope maintenance there.
When asked about the status of his house, Ahmad said: “Previously we had a Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL), but we were not allowed to renew it for many years.”
Community activist Andre Lai suggested that DBKL instal sheet piles to strengthen the slope after an inspection on June 20, which he attended.
“DBKL should expedite the slope enhancement,” said Lai, adding that he had written to DBKL about this on June 22.
Kampung Puah village chief Khalid Mohamad urged DBKL to take swift action to fix the slope.
“Residents are very worried about their safety, especially now when the weather is so unpredictable,” he said.
When contacted, Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan said it was important to identify those responsible for maintaining the slope.
“If DBKL does not own the land, it cannot simply move in.
“In the short term, however, what can be done is to classify the incident as an emergency, so that we can bring in first responders.
“We had done this when bamboo trees were falling along the slope some time ago.”
Zahir also urged the people to lodge complaints through the Adu@KL portal so that it can be recorded in the system.
“They can also send me the reference number, so that I can follow-up with DBKL.”
As at press time, DBKL had not responded to queries regarding the issue.
