SIBU: Local housing developers are given three months to adhere to the standard operating procedure (SOP) for a cleaner environment, said Chieng Jin Ek.
The Bukit Assek assemblyman said that the decision was met following a meeting that was convened due to several complaints by the public who have been affected by dusty roads during dry weather that turned muddy during the rainy season in their area.
“This is very unfair to the affected residents. I have been receiving complaints from people almost every day.
“They do not dare to dry their clothes outside their house. They also do not want to let their children play outside due to this pollution,” he said after chairing a meeting on the matter at Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Meeting Room here on Wednesday (May 3).
The meeting was also attended by representatives from Sibu Municipal Council, Sibu Rural District Council, Natural Resource and Environmental Board (NREB), and Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association (SHEDA)
Chieng said that residents from big housing estates such as Jalan Ulu Sungai Merah and Jalan Bukit Penyau had to suffer from this sort of pollution for up to 10 years as the project was ongoing.
“During the meeting, we have agreed to enforce an SOP for the developers to follow. They will have to set up a wash bay to wash their lorries of sand and soil so that they won’t be spilt onto the road.
“They will also have to tar-seal the feeder road in the construction site that connects to the main road,” he said.
Hence, he believed that with the SOP in place, the issue affecting the residents could be resolved.
“During the grace period, the developers will be provided with information on how to fulfil this SOP. After three months, enforcement will be jointly carried out by SMC, SRDC, NREB and CIDB.
“This SOP is nothing new as it has been enforced in West Malaysia and Kuching but not here yet,” he said.
