Developers to pay if they fail
to provide proper drainage system
15/11/2007 The Star By Elan
Perumal
DEVELOPERS in Selangor who fail to adhere to rules and regulations on flood
prevention may find themselves submerged in the litigation pool.
The local authorities in the state have been ordered to take tough action on
the errant developers.
The State Government wants the local councils to impose a maximum fine of
RM250,000 on any developer for the non-compliance of rules and regulations
pertaining to flood prevention.
WATER WOES: Each time it rains heavily, houses and properties are damaged by
floods, as seen in this file picture of Kg Kebun Bunga in Shah Alam.
“There is no compromise on this matter. The developers will have to face the
music for their own doings. It is very unfair for the house-buyers and also
the residents from neighbouring housing estates to suffer due to the
irresponsible attitude of the developers,” State Infrastructure Committee
chairman Datuk Abdul Fatah Iskandar said.
Fatah told Star Metro that the local authorities had the duty and
responsibility to ensure that the developers provide proper drain-age system
in their development areas so that they would not be subjected to flash
floods.
“We will not allow the developers to run away from their responsibilities,
especially after handing over the houses to the purchasers,” he said
Besides causing problems to the public, Fatah said the irresponsible
attitude of the developers had also cost the government a lot of money.
In the past, he said, the state and the local authorities had to spend
millions of ringgit on flood mitigation projects and it was time to put a
stop to such a situation.
“The government should not be spending money to correct the blunders of
these irresponsible developers who have raked millions in profits from their
projects,” he said.
Fatah said that the state, meanwhile, was all set to face the possibility of
floods during November and December.
According to Fatah, district-level action committees have been formed to
monitor the situation in their areas and to implement measures to help the
people in case there are floods.
“All the districts in the state have adequate manpower equip-ped with the
necessary resources to face any flood situation. I do not think we have much
of a problem,” he said.
“We hope the public will not panic but follow instructions and cooperate
with the authorities when they are hit by flood,” he said.
Fatah said the authorities were anticipating heavy downpours between now and
the end of December.
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