THE Kampung Boyan flood retention pond area is expected to open to public in the middle of this year as an extension of Taman Tasik Titiwangsa.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) executive director (planning) Datuk Mohd Najib Mohd said DBKL would cooperate with the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) on this.
“We will work with them to extend the park so that the public can come here.
“This will be an attraction area to showcase the Local Agenda 21 (LA21) unit, and the community can work together to do urban farming here,” he said in his speech at the launch of Environmental Preservation Programme at the Sungai Bunus basin in conjunction with World Water Day.
Signage will be added at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa to direct visitors to the area.
He added that the pond, attached to Sungai Bunus, flowed to the edge of the city centre.
“This pond attracts birds from Zoo Negara that come here to catch fish.
“This will become a good area for people to do bird watching,” he said.
He said there was also a cycling track at the pond for the public to enjoy once it is open to them.
Mohd Najib said the Kuala Lumpur LA21 programmes focused on cooperation between the local authority, the public and the private sector towards sustainable development.
“Programmes that are implemented carefully will create a comfortable, safe and harmonious society and will value health and sensitivity to environmental, social and economic issues,” he said.
The event was also the starting point for the river clean-up at Sungai Bunus.
He said irresponsible dumping of garbage and waste contributed to pollution along the river.
“During a meeting with stakeholders, several issues such as pollution of Sungai Bunus and connectivity of the area for recreational space was highlighted.
“I propose we all strive to attain sustainable development in the city where communities can enjoy protected urban river systems.
“Maintaining cooperation is challenging but we hope with the support from every party involved, we can strike a balance,” he said.
Other than students from Tunku Abdul Rahman University College and the local residents associations in the area, about 30 US Navy and US Marine officers joined in to plant 100 trees in the area.
US Ambassador to Malaysia Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir, who was present at the event, said the sailors and marines were here as part of the Pacific Partnership 2017.
The partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region.
She said part of the partnership was to provide benefits to the local communities.
The officers, who are part of the USNS Fall River ship, will continue their engagement in Kuching and Sandakan.
Other activities they took part in was a vertical farming project, demonstration of recycling cooking oil into candles, and urban farming.
Also present was DID deputy director-general I (business sector) Datuk Dr Md Nasir Md Noh.