As reported in The Star Online, Ara Damansara is a modern bustling township. However, with rapid development comes a price; the area is facing issues such as illegal dumping, especially along the Sungai Kayu Ara riverbank.

Firemen putting out fire at an illegal dumpsite under the bridge along Jalan PJU1A/3 In Ara Damansara.

Piles and piles of garbage and construction waste can be seen dumped by the riverbank beneath the bridge along Jalan PJU1A/3 Ara Damansara. Further downriver, at the dead end of Jalan PJU1A/7 is another illegal dumping site where trash is thrown by the riverbank.

However, these two spots along the river are not the only places where illegal dumping is evident in the Ara Damansara neighbourhood.

When StarMetro visited the area, rubbish was seen strewn along the roads along Jalan PJU1A/39, PJU1A/7 and also at Taman Perindustrian Jaya, which were where factories were sited.

“Illegal dumping has been happening for more than 15 years and we have seen part-time factory cleaners dumping trash there.

“After they clean the area, they are supposed to dispose the trash at a proper dumpsite but they just find it more convenient to throw it by the river,” said Ara Damansara resident Jackie Song.

Song who used to work at the industrial park previously and her former colleagues had seen people dumping the trash along the riverbank as early as 5am.

“In fact, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) already knows about this issue as many residents have lodged complaints to them over the years,” she said.

Residents claim they got pushed around from one department to another at the council and to-date, no proper action had been taken. Some residents also lamented that they did not get a reply or update from MBPJ on their plans to resolve the illegal dumping issue at Sungai Kayu Ara.

So far, residents have only seen MBPJ clearing trash at the dumpsite once, and even that was not done properly.

Rubbish piled up by the riverbank under the bridge along Jalan PJU1A/3.

“They came only once in June but only removed some trash. Officers also used the plastic tape to barricade the area but the tape was broken within a few hours after they left,” said AraGreens Residences resident Sal Lim.

AraGreens Residences is along Jalan PJU1A/3, beside the river where the illegal dumpsite was located.

Lim said the flimsy tape was useless as anyone could just pull it apart and start dumping again.

Residents in AraGreens had also witnessed open burning taking place at the Jalan PJU1A/7 dumpsite at least three times this year.

“We cannot really see it but we can smell the smoke and it’s really bad. The burning usually happens in the evenings,” she said.

Residents contacted the Fire and Rescue Department on all three occasions and they managed to put out the fire.

During StarMetro’s visit to the dumpsite in Jalan PJU1A/7, there was a strong stench emanating from the ground where a fresh layer of sand could be seen.

MBPJ officers removing as much bulk waste as they can from the illegal dumpsite in Jalan PJU1A/7. They also tried stopping people from dumping trash by putting up the plastic barricade which was torn soon after.

Some residents believed that the sand was used to bury rubbish underneath it to make way for more rubbish to be dumped there later.

“Apart from the smell, we also get huge fruit flies flying into our homes. I have now installed netting to prevent the flies from getting into my apartment,” said another resident Lim Kok Wei.

Residents want the authorities to get to the root cause of the illegal dumping issue for a permanent solution. “Authorities are not working together to resolve the illegal dumping issue,” he said.

When contacted, MBPJ said they were aware of the issue based on complaints from nearby residents.

“Our officers have visited the site and have on three occasions collected the rubbish this year,” said MBPJ public relations officer Zainun Zakaria.

She added that officers had also held a few meetings to find a solution to the problem, however, the area came under the jurisdiction of the Petaling District’s Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID).

“Every time we go back, there is a fresh load of rubbish and it is not easy to catch the culprit,” she said, adding that MBPJ had alerted DID and would work together with them to resolve the problem.

Click here in order to read the full article as published in The Star Online.