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CITY HALL has called on the government concessionaire to be more mindful about the condition of the roadside drains at residential areas within its rating area and to have these structures cleaned as and when this is warranted.

The agency, meanwhile, has vowed to do likewise when it comes to the backyard drains around the State Capital.

This action was prompted by feedback about the lack of maintenance carried out on a backyard drain in a Likas neighbourhood and another in front of a home in a Kepayan housing area.

The ratepayers, who spoke out about this irregularity, separately provided Hotline with the pertinent details regarding their grievances. This information was forwarded to the agency.

A spokeswoman for City Hall’s Landscaping Department explained that the concessionaire was responsible for maintaining the drains on either side of housing roads, while the agency looked after those at the back of residences.

The former amenities were cleaned according to a fixed schedule, according to her, with the same being done to the latter once every six months.

She said its personnel went to Taman Likas Jaya in Likas and Taman Selesa in Kepayan, shortly after the agency was contacted by the media.

“We were made to understand that a foul smell had been wafting over from the direction of drains behind Lorong Burung Kenari 4 and along Lorong Rampai.”

She said the homeowner at the first location had observed that the water in the drain outside her fence did not to recede even during the present dry spell.

Her counterpart in Kepayan, on the other hand, suspected that the thick layers of mud at the bottom of the roadside drain, closest to his premises, might be giving rise to the stench which occasionally permeated his living room, according to the spokeswoman.

She said the City Hall’s Drain Unit attended to the affected drain in Taman Likas Jaya, which spanned a distance of some 268.9 metres, on Monday.

“Eight of our workers used ‘cangkuls (hoes)’ to de-silt the structure and clear the weeds which had formed inside. They also dealt with the unkempt greenery on the drain reserve here.”

She said a four-tonne truck was deployed to facilitate efforts to remove the debris from the work.

“The Unit has been asked to check on the condition of the backyard drains in the neighbourhood, from time to time, to ensure that any blockages are dealt with accordingly.”

The spokeswoman said Landscaping personnel noticed that run off up to two feet deep was stagnating inside the backyard drain off Lorong Burung Kenari 5.

“They theorised that the settlement which had taken place here over the previous years may have impacted the gradient of the structure.”

She said the City Hall’s Engineering Department would be apprised of these observations.

“Our Engineering colleagues will have to determine how best to improve the flow of runoff in the drain. They will have to decide whether it warrants upgrading this structure and others in Taman Likas Jaya.” 

For Taman Selesa, she said landscaping staff confirmed that the base of the roadside drain along Lorong Rampai was filled with mud. She added that the drain stretches for about 768 metres.

“The concessionaire was informed of this finding. This is the most that we can do as the task of maintaining these amenity does not fall to City Hall.”

The spokeswoman said the agency learned that the company’s staff dredged out the weeds and silt at the base of the drain a day later.