Residents want a wall along river to prevent erosion

Story and photo by GEETHA KRISHNAN

Checking: Yap assessing the damage caused by erosion behind Kampung Sungai Ramal Luar resident Fatimah’s (right) house. Behind them is Md Rosnan.

ARIVER embankment strengthening project that stops short behind their houses has several Kampung Sungai Ramal Luar, Kajang, residents worried.
They are appealing to the Hulu Langat Drainage and Irrigation Department to build another 170m of concrete wall along the river to prevent erosion. The wall, currently being built, stops just before the six lots where the residents’ houses are located.
Work on the RM8.7mil project between Bangi and Kajang began in May last year and is targeted for completion this October.
The project was initiated when recurring floods burst the riverbanks. Besides erecting the wall, steps are also being carried out to deepen the river in several sections.
Checking: Yap assessing the damage caused by erosion behind Kampung Sungai Ramal Luar resident Fatimah’s (right) house. Behind them is Md Rosnan.Lot 8568 owner Md Rosnan Ramli said erosion caused a deep crack on the walls of his kitchen and there was evidence of soil settlement.
“Even after steps were taken to repair the damage, there was still some soil movement because new cracks started to appear. When the project has come this far, what is an additional 170m?” he asked.
The owner of Lot 8528 Fatimah Mohd Amin said several of her fruit trees including banana and rambutan trees tumbled into the river as a result of the erosion.
“In a way, the deep roots of my other rambutan trees have prevented further erosion but I don’t know if the trees can stand tall for long,” she said.
Another resident, the owner of Lot 8565 Azhar Osman, who has lived in the area for a decade, said the erosion was getting worse and that the authorities should act quickly to prevent damage to the houses in view of the monsoon season.
Serdang MP Datuk Yap Pian Hon who visited the affected area recently said the project measured 2.5km and the additional 170m would fully protect the riverbanks from erosion.
“Following residents’ complaints, I sent a letter to the Hulu Langat DID in June and received a reply stating a working paper on the request would be forwarded to the Selangor DID for consideration,” he said.
“A request for additional funds would also be made. But we haven’t heard anything from the Hulu Langat DID since then and residents want some assurance that the authorities are aware of their plight.”
Certain parts of the river involve deep drops and erosion could lead to unwanted incidents.