PNSB Gets Nod To Build Houses Near Bukit Cherakah
23/01/2007 bernama.com

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 (Bernama) -- Permodalan Negeri Selangor Berhad (PNSB) was given the approval last year to go ahead with the construction of 210 houses near the Bukit Cahaya Sri Alam Agriculture Park in Bukit Cerakah.

Its public relations executive Alina Idris said the approval was obtained after receiving feedback from the Department of Environment (DOE) and the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) after the water retention pond built by PNSB conformed to the stipulated specifications.

Alina was responding to a Bernama report on Jan 11 on the development of a housing project by PNSB in the "sensitive" Bukit Cerakah area which raised polemics among nature lovers two years ago.

A housing development company was hauled up to court for not complying with the conditions for approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report.

In the report, Bernama stated that the PNSB had temporarily postponed earth-levelling work pending the visit of DOE and DID officials to assess construction of the water retention pond which must be built by all developers.

Bernama also quoted PNSB general manager (Monitoring and Project Coordination) Mohd Azlan Kachong as saying that the company had learnt from mistakes made by previous developers at the sensitive area so that no problems would crop up after this.

Mohd Azlan was also reported to have said that the PNSB was very careful and abided by the law so that the 30.5 hectares (75 acres) received the EIA approval first, even though the work procedures to develop a land of that size needed not require the approval.

Alina said when Mohd Azlan was interviewed by Bernama a day before the news report was published, the company received the assessment from the DOE and DID that the water retention pond had fulfilled the specifications, and hence approval was given to continue the housing project.

-- BERNAMA