Flood project blamed for cracks at Hindu temple in Setapak

Temple priest P. Sivalingam showing the cracks on the floor. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Noel Achariam, May 25, 2015.Devotees at the Om Sri Siva Balakrishnar Munisvarar Hindu Temple in Jalan Air Panas, Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, want the authorities to look into several cracks that have appeared on the structure of their temple.

They claimed that the cracks, which started to appear about a month ago, were caused by the work at the Sungai Bunus flood mitigation project which was being carried out by the Federal Territory Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID).

It is learnt that the DID is building a flood catchment area and a storage facility at Sungai Air Panas next to the temple.

The devotees want City Hall to issue a stop-work-order on the flood mitigation project until the DID take the necessary precautions.

They also want the DID to repair all the cracks that were caused by the project and compensate the temple RM500,000.

Temple priest P. Sivalingam said that the contractor had failed to take remedial measures to ensure the stability of the temple structure.

"The contractor has been carrying out excavation work 1.5 metres from the temple wall. They are digging the river almost close to five metres deep and there is no piling in place to prevent any damage,” he said.

Sivalingam said there was soil movement due to the construction work at the river.

"There are two inch-gaps that are more than five metres long on the floor and walls of the temple. Part of the columns at the temple has also slanted due to the work,” he said.

Sivalingam said that he was told by the contractor that they had stopped carrying out construction work near the temple.

"They have stopped the work and carried out some piling at the side of the temple. But, they still haven't addressed the issue of safety and cracks at the temple,” he said.

Sivalingam believed that if the DID had carried out a proper soil investigation and carried out proper piling, the cracks would not have appeared.

"We have lodged a police report in April 20 and the police said that they cannot take any action against the DID and contractor," he said.

Sivalingam also said that the temple had engaged lawyers to send letters to the relevant authorities.

Lawyer P. Uthayakumar said that he would be following up with all the parties involved on the requests of the devotees.

"The authorities will have to give an explanation as to what they are going to do about the cracks at the temple," he said.

The Malaysian Insider's attempts to get a response from the DID have not been successful.

- TMI