Hill blasting ends but new worries emerge

Hill blasting ends but new worries emerge
The Star 22/4/2005 By DHARMENDER SINGH

RESIDENTS of Tempua Zone in Bandar Puchong Jaya can finally look forward to some peace and quiet following the end to blasting on two small hills along Jalan Tempua 16.

Puchong MP Lau Yeng Peng said the blasting stopped on April 15 as agreed at a Jan 15 meeting that he organised.

The meeting was attended by the affected residents and officials from the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ), Minerals and Geo-science Department, Department of Environ-ment and developer Pilihan Megah Sdn Bhd.

Lau said he was happy to find out that the developer had been able to keep to the deadline that had been set and was now investigating the damage to houses near the blasting site.

“About 200 houses are affected but many of them have suffered only minor damage but there are a few in Jalan Tempua 16 that have large cracks,” he said.

He said the developer would check all the damage reported by the residents and ascertain which might have been caused by blasting before carrying out the repairs.

Lau was speaking to reporters after visiting the site on Tuesday.

He said he would meet the developer again soon to ask that the company allow owners whose houses suffered only minor damage to carry out repairs on their own and then bill the company.

This, he said, would hasten repair work as it would take a long time for the developer to carry out repairs on all the affected houses.

He said he was aware that this could cause a dispute over the cost of repairs, adding that if the damage was small the difference the company would spend to repair it on its own might not be much.

He said the residents had put up with the blasting and its effects for several years and were now restless to see the repairs carried out quickly.

Resident Richard Gomez said the residents were happy that the blasting had ended but were now worried over a new threat that might be posed by earth that was being dumped on the levelled top of one of the two hills where blasting was carried out.

“There does not seem to be anything holding the soil especially at the edge of the hill slope and we are worried that if there is a downpour there will be a mudslide,” he said.

He said the residents were informed in earlier meetings with the developer that it planned to build houses on top of the hill.

The residents want the company to ensure that the soil is well compacted and supported on the sides to stop it from being washed down.

Lau said he would contact the developer soon to express the residents concerns and ask for clarification on the safety measures taken by the company.