Councillor wants Selayang Municipal Council to keep drains outside shops uncovered and clean

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 8): A councillor here has called on Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) to carry out inspections to make sure that public drains outside shops in commercial areas are not covered, reported The Star today.

“Technical officers from the council’s solid waste management, engineering and licensing departments must go to all commercial areas to check if public drains outside the shops have been covered.

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“It is time the three departments buck up and have an action plan to ensure public drains meant for rainwater run-off are not covered,” Mohd Kassim Packiry told the English daily.

It has been reported that many car workshops and restaurants cover the drains and this means that workers will have difficulty cleaning them.

The drains have to be opened to take on rainwater run-off from “impermeable surfaces like asphalt roads”.

The drains also have to be kept clean to prevent backflow and flash floods.

Mohd Kassim said shopowners who cover the drains “must be ordered” to open them.

“They must give business owners three weeks’ notice to remove the concrete covering and restore the public drains to their earlier state. The council must not compromise on this issue,” he added.