Builder told to submit erosion- control plan

23/05/2008 The Star By Jayagandi Jayaraj

DAMANSARA 21 project developer SDB Properties has been told to submit an erosion sediment and control plan (ESCP) to the Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL), following a disclosure by the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) that the company had not done so before starting on its project.

The developer is also required to submit a few other project requirements, complete the hoarding and the U-drain at the site before they can continue with the work, which received a stop-work order in April.

The decision on the project was made at a meeting on Tuesday between SDB Properties officials and representatives of Medan Damansara residents, chaired by the Federal Territories Ministry secretary-general Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib.

Precarious: The slope development in Medan Damansara begins right next to this home.

Earlier this month, Medan Damansara residents were shocked to be notified by the DID via a letter stating that the developer did not submit the ESCP before work on the project began in December last year as stipulated in the development order.

SDB Properties property development manager Choy Wing Sung claimed that the company had submitted the ESCP but the DID could not find record of it.

“However, under the DBKL, it does not require the DID comments before starting work although we did submit the ESCP to the DID,” Choy said.

He said the company had obtained approvals from all 16 technical departments and regulatory bodies before work started in December last year.

On the residents' plea to scale down the project, Choy said the project was already scaled down from 25 bungalows to 21.

“I am not clear of what the residents mean by scaling down further.

“Does it mean to scale down the number of units or to lower the storeys?” he said.

Medan Damansara residents association secretary Peter Raiappan raised the question of who was responsible for monitoring the requirements from the 16 technical departments were adhered closely by the developer.

“We are requesting for a system by the DBKL in which all departments involved in the development gives their satisfactory compliance of the conditions approved before the next stage of development,” he said.

Raiappan said the development should be to scaled down to just 10 units.

He also said a guideline issued by the Science, Technology and the Environment Ministry stated that no development was allowed on a slope more than 35 degrees.

According to Raiappan, an analysis by the Selangor and Federal Territory mineral and geosciences department revealed that 15% of the hill on the west side was more than 35 degrees.

“However we were told that the guideline by the Science, Technology and the Environment Ministry was only applicable for areas above 300m above sea level.

“We are just appalled by the contrasting conditions,” he said.