Study needed before prohibiting roof gutters — Abdul Karim

January 8, 2014 

KUCHING: An in-depth study and referral involving those in the construction industry should be conducted before coming up with measures to prohibit new housing projects from installing rainwater gutters on the roof.

Assistant Minister of Housing Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said he personally did not see the rationale of the proposal to prohibit the installation of rainwater gutters on the roof for newly constructed houses.

“I believe the requirement for gutters comes within building by-laws. I am puzzled how the Ministry of Health suddenly came up with this idea of doing away with gutters in new building laws merely because he (deputy minister) thought that it

could retain water and thus a breeding ground for aedes mosquitoes,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Abdul Karim, who is also Assistant Minister of Youth Development, was commenting on the Health Ministry’s proposal that new housing projects be prohibited from installing rainwater gutters on the roof to curb the rising number of dengue cases.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahya said the move was necessary as Malaysians were still unaware that gutters that were not properly maintained could become breeding grounds of aedes mosquitoes.

The Health Ministry also proposed that the Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government amend its existing regulations so that all rainwater gutters in existing houses would be removed for effective eradication of aedes mosquitoes.

   

Larangan pasang saluran air hujan tidak rasional

January 8, 2014

Cadangan ia dijadikan peraturan baharu diutarakan dalam usaha membanteras pembiakan aedes

KUCHING: Cadangan supaya satu peraturan baharu digubal bagi melarang saluran air hujan dipasang pada bumbung rumah dalam usaha membanteras pembiakan aedes, disifatkan tidak rasional.

Menteri Muda Perumahan Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah berkata, malahan setiap rumah yang dibina sememangnya dilengkapi dengan saluran air hujan pada bumbung bagi membolehkan pengaliran air dengan betul ke longkang.

“Aedes tidak mungkin membiak dalam saluran air hujan berkenaan, melainkan jika ia rosak dan setakat ini ia tidak menjadi isu dalam industri perumahan Sarawak.

“Saya merasakan tidak ada keperluan untuk peraturan baharu bagi perkara berkenaan,” katanya melalui sistem pesanan ringkas kepada Utusan Borneo di sini, semalam.

Abdul Karim berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas mengenai laporan akhbar nasional pada 6 Januari lepas, yang menyatakan bahawa Kementerian Kesihatan akan mengemukakan cadangan supaya satu peraturan baharu digubal bagi melarang saluran air hujan dipasang pada bumbung rumah dalam usaha membanteras pembiakan aedes.

Tambah Abdul Karim lagi, malah Malaysia terletak berhampiran Khatulistiwa dan mengalami taburan hujan agak lebat sepanjang tahun.