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THE Putatan District Council will step up efforts to maintain the drains behind homes in Taman Bersatu Phase 2, while the Sabah Sports Board (SSB) has vowed to do likewise when it comes to the drains around the jogging track at the Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex.

This follows separate feedback from a Putatan ratepayer and Likas track-user about the lack of maintenance carried out on these amenities.

The former spoke out about the tendency of rainwater to pool in her compound, during a downpour. She had noticed that the runoff was not being channelled away fast enough into the common drains near her residence.

The homeowner reported the ponding problem four times to the Council over the past month and a half but claimed that not action was forthcoming.

The jogger, on the other hand, bemoaned the stench coming from some of the drains around the track. The affected structures were clogged with piles of dried leaves and an abundance of weeds, according to her. 

For the past six months, she had been going for a run regularly at the track. She claimed that the drains had not been cleared once in all that time.

These individuals provided Hotline with pertinent details, regarding their grievances, which were forwarded to the agency and SSB.

A Council spokesman said a preliminary inspection was made of Taman Bersatu, shortly thereafter.

“Our staff noted that water vegetation was thriving inside the backyard drain, off Lorong Linsuk,” he said.

“Owing to this, the run-off could not flow smoothly and was stagnating.”

The greenery on the shoulders was also found to be overgrown, according to him.

Six workers from the agency returned to the neighbourhood later that same day to address these irregularities.

“Our personnel dredged up the sediment and weeds from the drain with ‘cangkuls’ (hoes).

“Handheld grass-cutting machines were later used to deal with the long grass on the reserve about the same time.”

On top of this, the agency unclogged the roadside drains in this part of the neighbourhood and tended to the plants on the verge, according to him.

“This was done on compassionate grounds as neither these structures nor the government land on either side are under our jurisdiction.”

The spokesman said the government concessionaire was responsible for looking after this common area.

“We called on the firm to increase their maintenance endeavours involving the front yard drains and the reserve land near these structures.” 

When asked how often the common drains behind homes in Taman Bersatu were attended to, the spokesman said the Council tried to have this done at least “two to three times” a year.

“We do not have enough manpower to consistently keep to this schedule. 

“Given the extensiveness of our rating area, our six-man crew cannot be everywhere at once. 

“So, we try to deal with the drains and land on the shoulders as and when it becomes necessary to do so.”

He said the residential and commercial properties which fell under the Council’s care covered an area of about 29.7 square kilometres.

Where the jogging track was concerned, a SSB spokesman said the drains in this part of the Complex were dealt with last week.

“Three of our workers took two days to clear all these structures,” he said. “They channel away the run off from the track which extends for more than a kilometre.

He said the administration of the Complex tried to have the drains attended to on a monthly basis or as and when this was warranted.