|
Sewage stinks up lakeside
residence
24/03/2009 NST By Kristina George
Louis Jeremiah (left) and Zainol Kharib Othman say the contents of the
manhole spill over when it rains. (Inset) One of the manholes which is full
to the brim. — Pictures by Afendi Mohamed
SEPANG: Louis Jeremiah and his wife had looked forward to a quiet and
pleasant retirement by the lakeside in Taman Tasik Cempaka in Pantai Sepang
Putra here.
However, they soon discovered that the idyllic picture which had enticed
them to buy a home in the area was not about to materialise.
A lingering stench of human waste hangs in the air due to the overflowing
manholes in the area.
Jeremiah said the residents had submitted hundreds of complaints to the
developer and the local authorities over the years but nothing had been done
to rectify the problem.
"We dread the rainy season as the manholes, which are barely a metre away
from our houses, tend to overflow and spill sewage into the drains which
lead to the nearby lake. The stench is unbearable, especially during meal
times," said Jeremiah.
Jeremiah claimed that when they moved to the area in 2004, the developer had
promised an improved sewage system as a replacement for the vacuum system.
But nothing has been done since then.
"Sometimes it is hard for us to use our own toilets as the foul smell fills
the entire bathroom from the toilet bowl due to the horrible sewage system
here. To make things worse, we are not even able to flush our toilets after
use."
His wife, Catherine Jeremiah, 64, said they had not expected their dream
retirement to turn into a nightmare.
"The sewage system in the kampung is even more sophisticated and effective
than what we have here," she said.
Catherine said she and her hushand were first attracted to buy a home in the
area because they were promised a scenic and beautiful lake.
"What it really is now is a smelly lake that is overgrown with water-based
weeds. We have even seen dead fish floating around because of the
pollution," she said.
Zainol Kharib Othman, 65, who is the former Pantai Sepang Putra residents'
association president, said the residents were at their wits' end trying to
resolve the issue.
"They (the developer) would send a tanker to come and siphon the overflowing
manholes when we contact them but that is only a temporary solution. We need
a sewage system that is more efficient. The sewage piping here is clogged
and we have noticed that the sewage ponds here are dry. This leaves us
wondering where the waste is being dumped," said Zainol.
He added that most of the residents there were pensioners and they did not
need the added stress.
"I hope the authorities come up with a speedy solution as we have been
suffering for years now," said Zainol. |
