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CITY HALL is in the midst of giving the moat around the “Tugu Pahlawan (warrior monument)” at Ujana Rimba Tropika a thorough cleaning and hopes that the government concessionaire will do likewise when it comes to attending to the roadside drains in Taman Selesa.

This action was prompted by feedback about the stench coming from these structures.

A park-user said this nuisance was caused by the dead fish which had been bobbing for some time in the murky water in the moat. 

A Kepayan ratepayer, on the other hand, suspected that the thick layers of mud at the bottom of the drain outside his front-yard might be giving rise to a similar problem in his neighbourhood.

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

A spokeswoman for City Hall’s Landscaping Department (LD) said a contractor had been appointed to deal with the moat. 

This work got underway on April 7, according to her, with the water initially being pumped out of the structure.

She said the dead fish was removed around this time, together with any moss, water vegetation and sediment which were soiling the moat.

“A layer of waterproof substance will be applied to the concrete surfaces of the structure.” 

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, including the showers which had been periodically falling in the State Capital, she said City Hall tentatively hoped to finish cleaning the moat by the end of the month.

When asked about the presence of the fish, she said they had not been placed there by the agency.

“The fish had been released into the water, together with other marine life – like tortoises – by members of the public who, for whatever reason, did not want to continue looking after their pets.” 

She said City Hall would arrange to have a sign put up near the moat, calling on the public to refrain from resorting to such inconsiderate measures.

“A similar sign has been put up near the lake on the grounds of the Tun Fuad Stephens Botanical Park in the Bukit Padang area.”

She said the body of water around the “Tugu Pahlawan” occupied a space of some 1,049.5 square metres, while Ujana Rimba Tropika itself, which was built in 2002, covered about 14.5 acres of land.

The spokeswoman said keeping the moat clean was a laborious process.

“It can take anywhere between a fortnight to a month to do this properly.

“Moss has a tendency in the water as it is a nitrogen and phosphorous rich environment. The dried leaves, which fall into the moat and decay in the water contribute to these conditions. 

“Add the substantial sunlight exposure to this and you get a better idea as to why the moss is flourishing.”

City Hall had previously admitted to using a pump to help control the quality and cleanliness of the water in the moat but this device was rendered out of order seven years.

“The pump broke down in a major way in 2017,” another spokeswoman said at the time. 

“The high cost of the repairs have held back our Engineering Department from getting the device back in working order.”

Where Taman Selesa was concerned, the LD spokeswoman said it had appealed to the concessionaire to double-down on action to de-silt the roadside drains in the affected section of Lorong Rampai. 

“Maintenance of the front-yard drains, within our rating-area, falls under the company’s purview, she said. “City Hall is responsible for looking after those outside the back-yard.”

To this end, she said the former structures were cleaned according to a fixed schedule, with the agency attending to the latter on a quarterly basis.

“If necessary, our workers will try to come in even before the scheduled cleaning, to deal with any complaints involving the back-yard drains,” she said.