Drain covers go missing in Taman Sri Sinar Segambut

Uncovered manholes make residents fear for their safety.
DBKL only placed wooden covers over the drains.

Hard to move: Tan has placed several large heavy pots on the drain cover in front of her house to deter the thieves.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro (29/7/2010)

Within four nights, more than 30 drain covers have ‘vanished’ into thin air at the busy Taman Sri Sinar residential area in Segambut. The drain covers were stolen at night two weeks ago.

Shelly Tan, 68, said every morning she would discover at least two drain covers missing while on her way to the market. “It is so dangerous, I have resorted to placing large flower pots on the drain covers in front of my house to prevent people from stealing them,” she added.

Dog lover Elizabeth Anthony, 68, said she found a puppy stuck in a manhole last Sunday and rescued the dog with the help of neighbours. “The dog had fallen in the night before, imagine if it was a child. The playground is just down the road and the neighbourhood is filled with young children,” she said. Anthony fears for the safety of children, especially after her niece fell into an uncovered manhole and broke her kneecap. Only four or five drain covers are still intact after residents decided to weld the iron in place. After lodging complaints to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), some workers came and placed wooden covers over the drains.

Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng said he was surprised that the DBKL still used iron drain covers. “I do not understand why DBKL is still using the iron drain covers when members of the community, including MPs, leaders and residents, have given them various suggestions,” he said. Lim feels that DBKL should replace the covers with heavy industrial PVC drain covers that are common in Singapore and even new housing estates in Malaysia. He said he had already lodged a complaint with the DBKL and hoped they would solve the problem soon.