RT suggestion to DBKL concerning DBKL plan2020

Kg. Kasipillay is just off Jalan Ipoh 3rd mile by the river Sungai Batu. The area in the report covers from Jalan Ipoh to the Jalan Kuching. This highway divides Kg. Kasipllay from Bukit Tunku area.
It is an accepted fact that this area known as Kg. Kasipillay as a flood prone area. The first development was the allocation of land to staff of DBKL along Jalan Kasipillay in 1960’s. The next development in the 1960’s, Hwa–Li Town was developed while the surrounding land was either Government land or in the hands of chetia’s the area is squatter by timber or timber / brick houses while along the main road it is fronted by the famous Low Yatt sawmill and some squatter light industrial premises.

This area has always being a flood prone from the overflows of Sungei Batu as such the houses build here were never very high even though it is round the corner from Chow Kit.

In the 1980’s the river was realigned & widened and lined with concrete walls alleviating the frequency of flooding. However, the probelm is still there because of the bottle necks of the river at PWTC.

Kg. Kasipillay is located almost three quaters of the river length of Sungei Batu in its length up to PWTC. It is also one of the lowest points of the river which is one of the reasons of the constant flooding.

Over the years, the development of Bukit Tunku now compounds the problem of flooding by the overflowing of drainage of the culverts from Jalan Kuching back flowing in to this area. Thus if the river does not flood the area the Jalan Kuching culverts will flood certain parts of the area namely Jalan Duku / Jalan Tampoi.

In the late 1990’s a survey of Sungei Batu was done to identify the river reserve land for the Drainage & Irrigation Department to undertake a squatter clearance excercise jointly with DBKL. This plan os enclose for your refrence which is not only enforces the need of such a reserve but also a plan from DBKL Town Planning Department confirming this reserve.

The RT Kg. Kasipillay as an NGO for the residents of Kg. Kasipillay has been in dialogue with D.I.D. and DBKL had been applying for the river riserve land to be turned into a walking park since the year 2000. However, this has only gone as far as dialogue and further action is hampered by the in difference from the Jabatan Saliran & Pengurusan Sungai, DBKL. Last year, 2007, during the huge flood alleviation, Kg. Kasipillay was part of the program to have a pump house with a Budget of RM5.0 million. Till to date, this program is yet to be implemented pending the flood retention ponds up river in Kepong to be completed, bfore this portion of the overall project can be implemented as explained by Jabatan Saliran & Pengurusan Sungai, DBKL.

3. Proposal & Reasons for the usage of river reserve land

The proposal on the river reserve land is to be turned inti a walking park for the Sentul / Jalan Ipoh area.
Kg. Kasillay consists of about 3000 resodents but now with the development of high rise residances surrounding, the population would rose about 5,000 people.

Why a walking park? When this park is implemented, it must bear in mind, the nature of the land of a river reserve with the objective of water retention purpose. As such, it sholud planted with tress and not cluttered with par course or play equipment giving freedm of flow of water during flooding, with minimum cleaning maintenances in its aftermath.

This should meet the objective of the KL2020 Plan.


Extration From The KL2020 Plan Report From The Web Site


4.0 Sustainable Land Use
Contents
Meeting Future Land Requirements For Sustainable Growth. Transforming And Regenerating Brownfield Sites And Urban Villages.
Meeting Future Land Requirements For Sustainable Growth

Strategic Direction 4.1 – Allocating Land for Future Requirements.
Strategic Direction 4.3 – Regulating incompatible Land Use Activities.
Transformating and Regenarating Brownfield Sites and Urban Villages.

Strategic Direction 4.7 – Regenerating Older Areas and Optimizing Use of Previously Developed and Underutilized Land

Strategic Direction 4.1 – Allocating Land For Future Requirements.



Allocating land for the future requirements in support growth for thw year 2020 and to facilitate economic and social development of the City.

1. The need to allocate for the future developments based on projected land requirements by the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020.
2. The strategic dorections towards achieving economic objectivee for World Class Business Environment and responding to future economic challenges and tends.
3. The aspirations to create a world class live able city with high quality environment and improved quality of life for city dwellers,
4. The requirements to provide comprehensive public amenties within a high quality urban environment.
5. The need to protect and enhance natural environment and public open spaces.
6. Vision for sustainable developement by balancing the economic, social and environment goals.

This land was previously a squatter settlement as it can be noted in the Plan enclosed, surveyed by Juruukur Setia for JPS Wilayah Persekutuan (Plan No.JS2.00W025/LA7) for squatter clearance and indicating of the boundaries of the river reserve land.

After the squatter clearance by DBKL this land is cavant and the RT had pursued vigorously of a walking park to both.D.I.D. and Jabatan Saliran & Pengurusan Sungai (DBKL) falling to deaf ears most of the time.

As in this Draft Plan KL 2020, this land is very much the subject of Section 4- Sustainable Land Use. The land is a river reserve as in the survey plan and Peranchang Issued Plan enclosed in this proposal.

Being a government Reserve Land does it not stand to reason that be maintained as status quo and used as a walking park meeting the objectives of KL2020 Plans. The park does meet the objective of the above points of Section 4 of your Draft Proposal.



Extraction from the KL 2020 Plan Report from the Web Site.

7.0 Protecting And Enhancing The Environment.

As pressure for development in Kuala lUmpur become more intense, the need for the protection of the environment becomes greater. Ensuring environmentally sound and sustainable development and achieving world class environment more challenging and demanding for Kuala Lumpur.

He key to improving the urban environment lies in protecting its natural environment and enhancing in environmental quality of Kuala Lumpur. Priciples of green infrastructure shall be adopted to improve level of urban services for drainage, sewerage public transportation, and solid waste management. In addition, green spaces shall be considered as part of urban infrastructures.

7.1 Strategic Direction - Protecting Environmentally Sensitive Area
7.2 Strategic Direction – River value and River Quality
7.3 Strategic Direction - Managing Noise to Acceptable
7.4 Strategic Direction – Improving Air Quality.

By putting an open space at this location, the park will be the environmentally sensitive area for the river to over flow naturally because down stream at PWTC is a bottleneck slowing the flow of the river. This will give the river a natural balance to overflow freely without any damaging any manmade properties. To compound the problem it must not be overlooked Kg. Kasipillay has a flooding pressure from the overflow of Jalan Kuching and Bukit Tunku, too

By letting it overflow, it will help to capture the solid waste that usually comes with the flood water less to say the mud that is also part of the water. This solid waste and mud, when collected after the water has receded will cintribute positively to river value and quality in a natural form.

Since the construction of the high rise apartments (Riverside City) along the river the noise level from the apartments and the residents in Kg. Kasipillay is higher due to the trapping of the sound into a confined area. So this parkland will providw a buffer area from any future development because it becomes a channel for the sound to disperse.

Referring to the above sound problem, from the development mentioned above, the air quality is different since the development. Many of us has always looked at it air quality. It is rather short sighted to look at air quality from the above point of view only.

Today, we have to look at air quality from more aspects which we have not brought into as factors. For one, air temperature is higher due to the blocked channel of air flow.

In fact, in Tokyo and New York City Halls, have required building designs to be air flow efficient. This is to prevent mini cyclones and high speed aro flow causing walls of buildings to collapse. It must be a fact to be recognized, if DBKL wants to profess a world class futuristic plan in this Draft Plan.

Kg. Kasipplay is experiencing this high velocity winds phenomenal especially in recent rain sessions. The wind is much stronger in recent rain showers due to channeled air flow. By providing such an open ground this will allow the air flow disperse while going higher into th atmosphere.



Extraction From The KL2020 Plan Report From The Web Site
Section 8.0 – Enhancing Green Network & Blue Corridor

Kuala Lumpur’s vision is of a network of high quality, accessible park and green spaces which promote recreation, health education and economic regeneration, helping to make Kuala Lumpur a significantly more attractive city in which to live and work.

The Draft Kuala Lumpur Plan 2020 seeks to provide an integrated network of green spaces by linking the major parks in the city through both natural and man – made connections, which include rivers, utility reserves, roadside landscape areas and pedestrian walkways, both in a neighborhood setting and in an urban setting.
The Plan ultimately aims to achieve a standard provision of parks, opens soaces and recreational facilities of a comparable standard with other live able cities which are easily reachable to the communities. This includes provision of good quality recreational and sports facilities.

8.1 Providing Public Parks and Recreational Grounds
8.2 Securing Urban Spaces
8.3 Providing Quality Recreational Facilities.
8.4 River Corridor Improvement
8.5 Designating River Corridor Activity

The RT by proposing this walking park would meet Section 8.0 – Enhancing Green Network & Blue Corridor and perpherals sections on the following facts.

Does the proposal of a walking park on a river reserve within a communinty of 3000 and growing to 5000 not mett your vision of a more attravtive city in which to live and work. Least to say, located in 3rd mile, Jalan Ipoh just off Jalan Chow Kit and PWTC would bring your statement, “both in a neighborhood setting and in an urban setting”, alive and a vision achievable and not just a statement in a report of a Draft Plan.

Please bear in mind that the much needed desire of reachable and easy access to our community of this facility s very much the desire of the RT by our proposal. It is an on going activity of the community of about 200 persons doing morning walks, tai chi and other excercise within the small park, of a land area of 3000 Sq. Ft., and the surrounding roads from 6:00 till 9:00 in the morning would not put this proposal meeting the criteria of the whole of Section 8.0 of the Draft Plan objectives.

This is especially a proposal that could be implemented by the status of the land is Government State Land Status, with no additional expenditure to be provided for the land acquisition. To top it, this land is naturally located next to Sungei Batu meeting Green & Blue Corridor connection.


Extraction from the KL2020 Plan Report from the Web Site.
Section 10 – Mitigating Floods & Managing Strom Water.
10.3 Strategic Direction – Implementing Kuala Lumpur’s Drainage Master Plan.
The KLSP 2020 has identified two policies with respects to drainage. The first policy is that KLCH shall in coordination with the Department and Irrigation take measurses to mitigate flash floods and the second policy concern mining pond and existing lakes in the City where they are to be used also for flood mitigation and storm water detention.
The Drainage Master Plan has proposed various measures to improve drainage. These includes but not limited to:

Introducing detention ponds :

Some the detention ponds as proposed in the Drainage Master Plan are located on privately owned land. In some instances these lands are being developed. In some instance these lands are being developed. KLCH shall either acquire the land for the detention ponds or alternaty seek other suitable locations for these proposed ponds.

Section 10 – Strategic Direction – Managing Urban Storm Water
Planned and implemented correctly, its concept and technologies allow new development and the water cycle to complement each other, its key principle are :

• Integrate storm water into landscape
• Reduce run-off and peak flows
• Add value while minimizing drainage and infrastructure costs
Initiatives For Sustainable Urban Storm Water Management
1. Ensuring implementation of Manual Saliran Mesra Alam by all development proposals submitted for planning, drainage and earthwork permissions.
2. introducing and encouraging implementation of water sensitive urban design in the new developemnt and retrofitting where possible WSUD in existing area.
3. Develop and implement “Best Environmental Management Practice For Runoff for Various Land Uses And Activities”. This shall include environmental control measures for residential, construction site, commercial area, (eateries, markets, restaurants, hawker centres) streets and open spaces and recreational areas.
Base on the above statements this proposal should meet your present floor mitigation requirements on the following reasons:
• The said land is Government State Land, a river reserve, no acquisition is required
10.3 Strategic Direction – Implementing Kuala Lumpur’s Drainage Master Plan
Some of the detention ponds as proposed in the Drainage Master Plan are located on privately owned land. In some instance these lands are being developed. KLCH shall either acquire the land for the destination ponds or alternaty seek other suitable locations for these proposed ponds.

• Why look at water retention area as a pond, why not look at it as an area of vacant land to be flooded and the water ebbs when the flood ebbs.
Introducing and encouraging implementation of water sensitive urban design in the new development and retrofitting where possible WSUD in existing area
• Would it not by planting trees and maintaining it simple as a walking park, meets the above requirements of DBKL policy.
• The RT will also go one step farther, we propose to recruit the residents to plant and maintain the park every morning.
Section 10.4 – Strategic Direction – Managing Urban Storm Water.
Planned and implemented correctly, its concept and technologies allow new development and the water cycle to complement each other, its key principle are :
• • Integrate storm water into the landscape
• • Reduce run-off and peak flows
• • Add value while minimizing drainage and infrastructure costs