Deadline For Jalan Sungai Buloh Nursery Operators To Vacate Extended Until August

SHAH ALAM, April 21 (Bernama) -- The Selangor state government has extended until August the deadline for nursery operators along Jalan Sungai Buloh to vacate the site, prior to the commencement of the Kwasa Damansara elevated road widening project in September.

State Infrastructure and Agriculture Committee chairman Datuk Izham Hashim said the decision was made following appeals from the operators, as well as the need to provide a more reasonable transition period before the project is implemented.

“On April 18, 2019, a notice to vacate the site was issued to the operators, followed by the implementation of the KWASA Damansara elevated road construction project beginning Jan 1, 2020, as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s infrastructure network, with a final notice issued in December 2021.

“There is no option to maintain operations there as the area will be developed, but the state government has adopted a flexible approach by extending the deadline until August,” he told a press conference at the Selangor State Legislative Assembly building today.

He said a total of 38 operators involving 66 plots were affected by the vacating exercise, with some operators holding more than one lot.

Explaining further, Izham said the State Executive Council meeting (MMKN) in 2021 had previously agreed to relocate the operators to an alternative site in Bukit Changgang, Kuala Langat, as a long-term solution, with some operators agreeing and making deposit payments.

However, he said a detailed assessment by the technical committee found that the site was unsuitable for nursery development due to flood-prone soil conditions, with improvement costs estimated at RM10 million.

Izham said as a result, the state government had refunded the deposits to operators for the proposed Bukit Changgang relocation, which was not proceeded with, except for several plots still undergoing technical processing by the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS).

In the meantime, he said the state government had taken a pragmatic and humane approach by providing an ex gratia payment of RM10,000 per plot as a form of assistance to the affected operators.

He said that so far, a total of RM660,000 had been allocated for the purpose, with payments for 14 lots yet to be claimed.

On the flood issue, Izham said it is expected to be resolved within four years through the Selangor Flood Mitigation Project, which is currently being completed.

He said that several river-deepening works under the relevant projects are currently ongoing and would take some time to be completed.

“The work to address this flooding problem cannot be completed within one to three months. The river-widening works and design planning cannot be carried out within a short period,” he said.

According to him, Selangor has adopted modern water management technologies from the Netherlands, China and Germany to tackle floods in the state, but their effectiveness is seen as limited due to high rainfall and rapid urban development.

Yesterday, the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, once again urged the state government to prioritise efforts to resolve flood issues through comprehensive planning and more effective and immediate action.

--BERNAMA