By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 12: A heavy machinery vehicle reportedly sinking through a collapsed concrete slab in front of a shop along Jalan Mendu recently demonstrates why structures built over public drains must be properly approved, designed and constructed, said Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng.
Wee said the incident should serve as an important reminder that approval requirements for structures built over drains were not merely administrative procedures, but essential safeguards for public safety.
Following an inspection of the site, MBKS found that the concrete structure had been constructed over an existing drain and was being used as an access to the premises.
However, he stressed that the structure had been built without prior approval from MBKS.
“I wish to make this point very clear. This incident did not involve a structure constructed or approved by MBKS,” he said in a statement today.
Wee said there were clear reasons why property owners were required to obtain Council approval before constructing any structure over a public drain.
Such structures, he said, must be properly designed and constructed to ensure they were safe, did not damage the drainage system and were capable of supporting the loads they were intended to carry.
“This is not merely an administrative requirement. It is a matter of public safety,” he said.
Wee pointed out that a structure might appear sufficiently strong for normal vehicles but could fail when subjected to the substantially greater weight of heavy machinery if it had not been designed for such loads.
“When an unauthorised structure fails, the consequences can be serious, not only to the property owner but also to workers, motorists, pedestrians and members of the public using the surrounding road,” he said.
Fortunately, he added, the incident had not resulted in more serious consequences, but it highlighted the need for property owners and operators to take approval requirements seriously.
Wee also cited Section 136 of the Local Authorities Ordinance, 1996 [Cap. 20], which requires prior written consent from the local authority before any building or structure is erected over a sewer, drain or pipe vested in or constructed under the authority of the local authority.
He said the law also empowered the Council to alter, demolish or otherwise deal with structures erected without the required consent, with expenses incurred potentially recoverable from the responsible party.
“MBKS cannot compromise when public safety is involved,” he said.
Wee urged all property owners, business operators and occupiers within the Kuching South area not to construct, extend or modify structures over drains or other Council infrastructure without first obtaining the necessary approval.
He also advised those uncertain about whether existing structures at their premises had been approved to check with MBKS rather than assume that a structure was safe or authorised simply because it had been in place for many years.
“Our officers will take the necessary action in relation to the structure concerned in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations,” he said.
At the same time, Wee said MBKS would continue monitoring structures affecting public drainage and public areas, stressing that prevention was preferable to dealing with an accident after it had occurred.
“Our priority is straightforward: to protect lives, protect the public and ensure that structures affecting public infrastructure are safe and properly approved,” he said.
Wee said public safety was a shared responsibility, with property owners also required to comply with the law and ensure that structures constructed within or adjoining their premises did not put others at risk. — DayakDaily
