Low water pressure, dry taps at Chow Kit market affecting traders

DRY taps in certain parts of Kompleks Pasar Raja Bot in Chow Kit are affecting the daily operations of traders.

The new market’s toilets, wash basins and selected shoplots on the ground floor have not had water supply since Friday.

Persatuan Penjaja-Penjaja dan Peniaga-Peniaga Kecil Kawasan Chow Kit chairman Yuesnaedy Idrus said he learned, after highlighting the matter to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), that certain taps were turned off due to low water pressure.

“This is unacceptable as the situation is affecting both traders and customers.

“Traders have been suffering for almost a week and nothing has been done to address the problem.”

Yuesnaedy said the complex shared the same water supply input as Section 1A of the Pasar Raja Bot transit market.

“Prior to the completion of the complex’s building, we expressed our concerns about sharing water supply with the transit market.

“But the project consultant insisted that the water tank was sufficient for everyone.

“Now, our fear of supply disruption has materialised.”

Yuesnaedy says traders have to share their water supply with those operating at the transit market.

Chicken seller Asmadi Ramli said individual water taps at stalls selling poultry and fish had no running water.

However, the tap located at the end of the stalls had supply.

“This is inconvenient as we need water to clean the chickens and counters.

“More than 10 traders here are forced to share water supply from the tap at the corner.

“We also have to use the public toilets next to Jalan Raja Alang, about 200m away.”

Cendol seller Nazrin Mazlan said he gets water from the shared tap to wash his utensils.

“As it is we are at a disadvantage because there are no individual taps at our stalls.

“Now, with limited water supply, we have to compete with other traders.”

Florist Anjalai Abusamy said she has to carry buckets of water every day and her hands were hurting.

The association’s secretary Chew Meng Leong hopes DBKL would look into the matter and restore supply soon.

“Several lorries with water tanks have come by but it is not enough for the whole market.

“Customers at the food court and market are also unhappy that they cannot use the toilets,” he said.