Clogged drains affect businesses, pose health risks

KUALA LUMPUR: Residents of Pandan Jaya are urging the local authorities to solve the clogged drain problems which they have now been facing for over three months.
They claimed that because the drainage system in the area had not been properly managed, water in the drains have remained stagnant and the situation worsens each time it rains.
As a result they said, every day they have to bear with the stench from the drains which have been choked with rubbish and food waste.
According to Happy Tan, 62, residents have lodged several complaints but they seem to fall on deaf ears as nothing gets done.
"Around the business premises such as restaurants and food stalls, customers have been complaining but the local authorities are slow in taking action.
"The problem is not only a health risk but it has affected businesses, especially the food outlets around the area," he told reporters today.
Restaurant worker A. Vigneshwaran, 52, said water from the drains would flow to the shop areas causing customers to avoid the shops when it rained.
Meanwhile, Pandan MCA division chief Datuk Leong Kok Hwei hoped that the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) would resolve the drainage system immediately to prevent further problems.
"They will only take action when the cases are reported in the social media and this shows that they are not serious in attending to the people's problems," Leong said.
Leong also wanted MPAJ to explain how the RM60 million allocation for solid waste management and public cleansing was being used each year. — Bernama