Erosion worries Labis folk | The Star

A LANDSLIDE last March in Taman Wijaya, Labis, followed by soil erosion, has left residents and road users worried for their safety.

Bekok assemblyman Tan Chong said the landslide occurred at a monsoon drain near Jalan Sendayan due to the large amount of rainwater that gushed down from nearby residential neighbourhoods.

“Whenever heavy rain occurs, water will rush into the drain from Taman Perwira, Taman Mewah, Taman Sejati, Taman Intan, Taman Labis, Taman Sentosa, Taman Sri Bayu, Taman Okid Baru and Kampung Baru Barat.

“This caused the soil and drain structure to collapse, which also resulted in a 15m crack along the tarred road,” he said, adding that the road was the main access to Federal Route 1 for those travelling between Labis and Yong Peng.

The landslide near Jalan Sendayan was due to the large amount of rainwater that gushed down from nearby housing estates.

He added that the soil erosion worsened over the past few months, and now affected a surface area of about 35sq m.

Tan recently called for a meeting with Tenang assemblyman Haslinda Salleh and agencies such as the Labis District Council, Segamat Public Works Department (JKR) and Segamat Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) at the site to find a solution.

He said a contractor was scheduled to start conducting repairs next week and the project would take about four months to complete.

Tan said in 2021, then Johor public works, infrastructure and transportation committee chairman Solihan Badri, who was also Tenang assemblyman, announced that RM620,000 would be spent to upgrade the monsoon drain the following year.

“However, when Haslinda brought up the matter at a Segamat development committee meeting, she was told that the project was cancelled due to lack of funds.

“The Segamat JKR has submitted an application for the project to the state and is currently waiting for approval,” he said.

Once approved, the relevant departments would begin the due processes to see to the completion of the project.

“I hope the authorities can quickly solve this issue as it affects the safety and well-being of many residents and motorists,” said Tan.