KUANTAN: Cracks which appeared in a row of single-storey houses at Taman Pelindung Jaya Utama near here is giving residents sleepless nights.
The cracks due to rock blasting activities at a housing project construction site last year has left a trail of damage in the neighbourhood, including cracks in the kitchen and earth movements in the front porch.
Also, the residents have been kept waiting by the developer who had initially promised to carry out the necessary repairs and bear the cost.
Resident Mohd Khairul Anuar Rohaimi, 34, said 15 houses located some 50m from the project site were badly affected since last year but the developer has yet to send workers to do the repairs.
"The rock blasting last year resulted in vibrations and led to damage to the walls and ceiling. When the villagers complained to the JMG (Minerals and Geoscience Department) and lodged a police report, the blasting work stopped.
"The developer sent some men to do repairs but it was not completed. Different contractors were responsible for various sections of the houses and it has been quite some time since we heard from them," he told reporters when met today.
Mohd Naim Marzuki, 36, said since the contractors will only repair the defects caused by the blasting activities, the residents are forced to fork out extra cash to "beautify" the premises.
"The developer will only do the basic repairs to the original structure.
"Imagine buying and moving into your dream house but end up facing various challenges with uncertainty when the nightmare will end. These days during the monsoon season, rain water leaks through the cracks and immediate repairs have to be done to avoid the situation from worsening," he said.
Meanwhile, Pelindung Jaya Residents Association president Mohamad Din said some 30 houses in the settlement were affected by the rock blasting last year which led to the cracks.
"Various types of damage were reported and we urge the developer to take responsibility. Besides doing the repairs, we want the contractor to build proper drainage as the fast-running muddy water from the construction site will inundate the nearby low-lying areas during heavy rains," he said.
Armani Idaman Sdn Bhd director Datuk Tan Kee Tong brushed aside claims that the company had neglected the house owners saying the repair works on the damaged premises was an ongoing process.
He said there were certain procedures including inspecting and evaluating the type of damages or cracks before sending their team to the ground to do the repairs.
"The cracks occurred when we previously used dynamite for the blasting works but now we use non-explosive chemical composition which gently breaks the rocks but requires a huge cost. We have never abandoned the repair works as we are the same developer involved in the previous project (affected houses) and are in the midst of doing the repairs in stages," he told reporters at his office today.