Monday, April 28, 2008

SS15 the latest dengue hotspot - The Star

April 28, 2008 By LIM CHIA YING

THE SS15 area of Subang Jaya has become the latest hotspot for dengue over the past week after dengue cases reportedly decreased in SS14 and SS18.

The Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) confirmed that at Jalan SS15/5F, there had been four reported cases.

Recently, council officers took to the streets together with Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh during her weekly dengue operation to remind residents the importance of spending 10 minutes to check their compounds.

According to Yeoh, many of the houses along the street were being rented out to college students and she believes they many not feel as compelled to clean up the compounds.

“They may be too caught up with their studies and assignments or might not feel a sense of belonging.

“I’m hoping to approach the colleges to carry out dengue awareness talks or campaigns for the students,” Yeoh said.

While the drains were mostly dry, residents pointed out that drain junctions located at the end of a row of homes were trapping water.

Residents also showed Yeoh and the officers the bumpy field at Jalan SS15/5E, where they claimed the park’s uneven terrain caused water to stagnate.

“Children come to play at this park while adults jog here in the evenings. After a downpour, the water won’t drain away.

“Ground levelling works need to be done here,” the residents said.

The MPSJ officers present took note of the issue and said they would revert to Yeoh on the immediate actions taken to rectify the problem.

Meanwhile, the roof and gutter designs of the homes were also found wanting, as they are flat and could easily trap water.

Yeoh said she would continue meeting the people to spread the dengue message over the next few weeks and urge them to cooperate.

“We should never assume our homes are dengue free as lives are at risk,” she said.

The residents also took the opportunity to highlight several problems including the need for speed humps to prevent cars from speeding as they said several accidents had already occurred.

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