Poorly maintained facilities along Green Road raise safety, health concerns

KUCHING (March 8): Poorly maintained public facilities at the commercial areas along Green Road here are creating safety and sanitation concerns for traders and residents.

Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii’s special assistant, George Lam, has urged Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) to address the matter without further delay.

“Drainage conditions are poor, road markings are unclear and several drain covers have sunken.

“I have spoken with local business operators, received several complaints and personally inspected the sites concerned,” he said in a statement on Saturday. issued following a site visit a day earlier.

According to Lam, traders and residents reported an elderly person recently fell into a drain after failing to notice a sunken cover.

“The damaged drain cover not only disrupts proper water flow, but also poses a danger to pedestrians.”

Another complaint involved a sunken drain in front of shoplots along Jalan Gold Jade.

“The sunken structure has almost completely blocked the water flow.

“Mosquito larvae could be seen breeding in the stagnant water. This situation poses a serious health risk to traders and residents in the area,” said Lam.

He also highlighted a drain beneath the premises of the Sarawak Hakka Association, which he described as ‘heavily clogged with grease and rubbish’.

“This is unacceptable; it clearly fails to meet basic sanitation standards. It also negatively affects the business environment and the overall image of the city,” he said.

Traders also complained about the drainage in front of shoplots near a Petronas kiosk at Green Road.

They said previously, DBKU had undertaken drain-flushing every six months, but the service had stopped in recent years.

“As a result, wastewater has accumulated in the drains, causing severe blockages and stagnant water that could become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and further worsen sanitation conditions,” Lam said.

He added that he had previously visited the area and raised the issues with DBKU through proper channels.

“Still, the problems remain unresolved.

“This has left many traders and residents feeling deeply disappointed. They wonder whether the authorities are truly attentive to the real issues faced by people on the ground,” he said.