Selangor mentri besar Azmin Ali was shock when he was told by residents that the Damansara-Shah Alam expressway (Dash) would be mere metres away from two condominiums, representatives of Say No to Dash (SNTD) said today. SNTD representative Michelle Wong said the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report obtained by the group recently revealed “several” flaws — one of which was the fact that the EIA failed to recognise the consequences of building a 19-metre elevated highway 11.2 metres and 14 metres away from two condominiums in the Damansara Perdana area. The EIA, added Wong also failed to differentiate Mutiara Damansara as a wholly-separate residential area from Damansara Perdana. “He (Azmin) sees how ridiculous it is. He was just as shocked during the meeting. “We are okay with the highway coming from Shah Alam... we do not accept elevated highways through densely populated and developed residential areas,” she told a news conference here after SNTD’s meeting with Azmin. Wong said that MB Azmin had told them he would be meeting developer Prolintas Bhd and the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) over the matter next, and will be demanding that a new EIA be prepared. “He (Azmin) said he would impose conditions, and that a new EIA be done before the highway is approved,” she added. SNTD had also urged MB Azmin to call off the state government’s structural plan for 2035 which had included Dash and several other highways including the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex.) SNTD has claimed that the highway developer, Prolintas Bhd, has tried to conceal the fact that work on the Dash project has already begun despite no official confirmation from the Works Ministry or the Selangor government. Attempts by the anti-Dash lobby to use the state government’s Freedom of Information Act (FOI) to release the state executive council’s meeting minutes on the highway have been unsuccessful so far. It is understood that the Work Ministry’s concession agreement with Prolintas, which ended on September 25, has been extended till December 24. According to Prolintas, Dash will be a 20.1km, three-lane, dual carriageway expressway starting from Puncak Perdana in Shah Alam to the Penchala interchange. In September, the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) moved to repeal amendments to the city’s plans following public concerns over a number of issues, which included the Dash highway. Some of the amendments which have been halted include the inclusion of the controversial 20.1km dual carriage Dash. With 12 interchanges, the RM11.5 billion expressway plans to link drivers to Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong and Sprint highways, which residents claimed are already congested during peak hours. Dash will serve motorists from Puncak Perdana, Alam Suria, Denai Alam, Kampung Melayu Subang, Jalan Sungai Buloh, the Rubber Research Institute Malaysia, Kota Damansara, Damansara Perdana and Mutiara Damansara, Prolintas said. SNTD and the residents were concerned that in addition to traffic congestion, construction in the highly-populated area will be detrimental to their safety, health and the environment. - See more at: themalaymailonline/malaysia/article/azmin-shocked-dash-proximity-to-homes-highway-opponents-claim#sthash.ragM6Uix.dpuf
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 14:14:43 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015