I live in USJ 11 and this morning at about 10am, I received a call from my neighbour further down the street saying that MPSJ workers came to remove all her plants in her backyard and in the process broke a couple of pots as well. She was told they are going to do the same for other backyards as well.
I have been living here in USJ 11 for the past 14 years and we have always had plants in the backyard that are well-kept and without the plates that collect water. Is there a ruling against plants in the backyard in the first place? If it is a source of mosquitoes, shouldn't MPSJ give a warning to the owner of the plants to remove them first rather than just swooping down on them like that? Some plants have been around for over 10 years like my mum-in-laws and they are herbs for consumption which are difficult to find. We keep the empty pots overturned and the place clean and the pots don't block the pathway, so why this kind of action? If the concern are mosquitoes,shouldn't the shrubs and bushes in front of the houses also be removed?
Dear Resident,
Yes, MPSJ is taking action to clear the backlanes on USJ11. By law, we cannot keep any goods there, be it potted plants or anything else. MPSJ has been rather lenient on this over the years, but due to the massive amount of dengue cases in USJ11, one of the highest in the country, strict action has to be taken.
Maybe your pots are free of mosquito breeding, but breeding in potted plants and furniture stored in the backlanes is one of the culprits in USJ11. This is found to still be the case in the recent 3 day massive operation. Also, upon discovering breeding in backlane stuff, suddenly no one claims ownership. This is making it very hard to combat dengue.
MPSJ staff have been told, and I've reminded them again today, to try to get the owners to take back their stuff into their houses. Only those unclaimed ones will be taken away.
Best Regards,
Rajiv
2 comments:
Dear Rajiv, the main cause of dengue in USJ 11 is the unclear or block drains by the padang, in front of houses and at the back lane of houses and shop houses. No doubt that today the cleanliness has improved, the MPSJ should supervise the contractors to ensure the clogged drains and the sumps are cleared, otherwise, they are the major sourse of mosquitoes breeding ground. Punishing the resident is not the only solution, the MPSJ should own up their responsibilities and show good leadership. Can we have all the contractors work schedules for our area. We also can assist MPSJ to monitor their contractors. Thank you.
Residents monitoring the contractor's work is a good idea, email me at rajiv@dapsj.com for the list.
As for drains, aedes mosquitos do not breed in drains, they breed in clear water in shaded areas. I know a lot of residents dispute this, I'm happy to accept evidence to the contrary.
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