A large sinkhole that appeared in front of two houses in Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya, three weeks ago has residents worried as it has not been repaired.
The hole at Jalan Medan 23 measures about 1.5m by 1.5m and 1.8m deep.
Resident M. Saroja, 67, who has been living in the neighbourhood for 18 years, is thankful no one fell into the hole when the road caved in and water gushed into the cavity.
She said Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Sdn Bhd, Air Selangor and Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) have been made aware of the problem.
“We feel they have not shown any urgency in fixing it despite the sinkhole being right in front of our houses.”
She said the matter should be given priority before the situation worsens and endangers residents and motorists.
“Last week, a lorry-load of sand was dumped into the hole to stabilise the area.
“A heavy construction vehicle was also brought in, but no repair work was done,” she said, adding that the vehicle was still parked by the roadside.
Following further residents’ complaints, more barriers were placed around the sinkhole, according to Saroja.
“My family members spent six days meeting both utility companies to lodge complaints and follow up on the matter.
“We are disappointed that we are still waiting for the repair work to begin.
“We understand that the matter involves both IWK and Air Selangor.
“This is where MBPJ, as the local authority, should take the lead and address the issue for us,” she added.
Saroja claimed that the sinkhole’s location at a road junction had already led to two accidents as motorists swerved to avoid it.
Area councillor Norah Mansor said IWK had informed her that repair work would begin today and the affected house owners had been notified.
“The matter is under control. We are monitoring and working to resolve it.
“We are concerned about the residents’ safety and are taking all necessary measures to ensure repair works are carried out,” she said, adding that she was in contact with the Taman Medan Residents’ Representative Committee on the matter.
Norah said work could not begin immediately as a water pipe above a damaged sewer pipe had to be relocated first.
According to her, both utility companies were also finalising the cost of relocating the pipe.
She also asked the utility companies to put up a notice board at the site to provide residents with information on the repair works.
Meanwhile, a sinkhole has appeared on a slope in Jalan Kuchai Maju 14 in Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park, Kuala Lumpur on Nov 3.
Citing a Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) work report, Seputeh Federal Territories Residents’ Representative Council Zone 6 chairman Alvin T. Ariaratnam said the sinkhole was caused by the collapse of a nearby drain retaining wall.
“DBKL has covered the sinkhole with a tarpaulin and a 1.21m by 2.44m plywood plank.
“Water barriers and hazard tape have also been installed around the sinkhole,” he said.
In the report, DBKL classified the incident as “large-scale damage” and stated that the collapsed wall had been referred to the public engineer in charge of Seputeh, for further action.
However, Flat Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park resident Nasrun Ismail said the soil depression at the edge of the covered area had expanded by Nov 6.
“The tarpaulin is also torn.
“The authorities should extend the waterproof covering to the upper slope immediately to prevent surface water from further destabilising the soil,” he said.
In response, Alvin said DBKL was monitoring the area daily while awaiting a permanent solution.
In a statement to StarMetro, DBKL denied that the soil depression had worsened or that the tarpaulin was torn.
It said the plywood plank and water barriers remained in good condition, following a site inspection on Nov 8.
“DBKL will continue monitoring the site and take suitable follow-up actions to ensure public safety,” it added.
