EARTH WORK WILL CAUSE FLOOD

RECLAMATION.....the land reclamation under fire.

THE OWNERS of the land adjacent to a construction site in Menggatal which is next to the SK Darau felt very worry about the earth work contractor cutting the hill and reclaiming the land, which they said will cause serious flooding in the area.

This is because several sections of the previously very wide Sungai Darau have been reclaimed and covered totally with earth. There is only a small diameter concrete culvert laid to let the water through.

The people here in Menggatal said that is terrible, and they said this area already is a flood prompt area, and in heavy rain this area is usually flooded under few feet of water especially in the SK Darau, and even right up to the Pulutan Roundabout.

Now the contractor has filled up the Darau River with earth and placed a small culvert to let the water through, the eventual situation of flood is unimaginable. They said disaster will hit.

The people reported the case to the Sabah DAP Inanam Service centre, and requested the help of Edward Ewol Mujie, the DAP Local Government and Housing Bureau Chief to look into the matter.

Edward and his assistant Stephen Yarman immediately attended to the problem, and viewed the situation as urgent and critical. If there is a heavy down pour of rain, and the water from upstream Kg Pulutan rushed towards Darau area, the whole river will swell up and flooding the whole place, because there is no place for the water to be drained out fast enough.

Edward said that this should not be allowed to happen, and he doesn’t understand why the authorities did not act upon it even there were complaints made by the people here. The earth works had been going on for quite sometimes now, and some dirty water is already accumulated in the river due to the small culverts that were placed blocking the river water flow. Mosquitoes are growing fast in the stagnant foul water.

The people wants the JKR, JPS and DBKK to come immediately to investigate and to resolve the pressing matter before any serious damages caused to the private properties, houses, schools, church, and the public road here.

The departments were duly informed by DAP, and it is up to them to come to put the situation right. We should not wait to see disaster happen here. The contractor must be instructed to remove the earth and the small culvert that is encroaching into the government river reserve boundaries, and to reinstate the river to its full width to ease the water flow.

On the other hand DBKK should look into the land use here, because the people heard that the developer is intending to construct an industrial building here while the land is believed to be under a residential zoning.

They said they are worry that in the future there will be industrial disturbance and pollution occurring here especially it is very close to the schools here. All this are important factors and the developer is urged to be considerate for the sake of the people here. His decision to change the land use will be much appreciated, said one Mr Chong who lives nearby.