A lawn expert says the damage could have been reduced if turf protection was used instead of platforms
THE Dataran Merdeka field is damaged again. The platforms, stage and tents that were set up on Aug 24 to mark the National Day celebration on Aug 31, has taken a toll on the grass.
The brownish yellow patches were revealed on Tuesday, as the contractors dismantled the raised fittings which were constructed and covered with canvas.
The field was previously damaged barely three months after its opening in July last year due to unavoidable overuse. The then Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib ordered the field to be closed until the end of the year to give time for it to “heal”.
However, a lawn care expert who correctly predicted the dying field in StarMetro’s report on Aug 28 said the damage this time could have been drastically reduced if the organisers used turf protection mats instead of platforms.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) owned 15,000 sq m turf protection mat purchased during its major field upgrading project in 2013.
DBKL spent RM3.9mil to give the Dataran Merdeka field a facelift in 2013, which included a new turf, new irrigation system and the turf protection mat estimated to cost RM1mil. The mat was enough to cover 93% of the 16,000 sq m field.
“I do not understand why the turf protection mat was not used since it was bought for that purpose.
“The plastic canvas which was used prevented the grass from getting water and sunlight. It trapped heat and dehydrated the grass, thus killing it.
“The turf protection mat will not only protect the grass but also allow water, air and sunlight to come through to help it survive in harsh conditions.
“It is also non-slip and suitable to be used when it is wet,” he said.
DBKL Planning deputy director-general Datuk Mohd Najib Mohd said the extent of the damage would be known by the end of this week (between Sept 7 and 11) following a detailed report which was submitted by the engineer in charge of the field.
“Some parts of the field has dried up and appeared brown. From what I see, we will need to resod and the field should be back to normal in two weeks,” he said.
When asked why the organisers were allowed to use raised platform instead of turf protection mats which were available and better for the health of the grass, Mohd Najib said it was not suitable for the required design.
“The organiser required raised platforms to give a better view for the public who attended the National Day celebration.
“The turf protection mat was more suitable for events where you need to sit on the field such as the KL Big Kitchen Festival which was held in May.
“For every event, a special committee is set up to organise it. For this National Day celebration, the members comprised officers from DBKL, the Communication and Multimedia Ministry (KKMM) and the Prime Minister’s Department (JPM).
“KKMM gives the design and concept. We advise them on how to go about it using the budget allocated by JPM. The contract was then given to the person selected by the committee,” he said.
Mohd Najib explained that the organisers of government events did not need to place deposit or pay rent for usage of the Dataran Merdeka field.
“Instead, the allocation is given to us to manage. We will have some reserves which we can use to recover losses or damages caused by the event,” he said.
Setiawangsa MP Datuk Ahmad Fauzi Zahari said the onus was on DBKL to ensure that the field was properly used during events.
“The organiser will not know about the sensitivity of the field and how it should be cared for. DBKL should act as an adviser to tell them what to do.
“DBKL should come up with a guideline on the do’s and don’ts when using the field to prevent overuse or damage.
“I hope this will be the last of such incident,” he said.
Titiwangsa MP Datuk Johari Ghani hoped the grass would grow back to its prime as soon as possible.
Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng said if there was no proper justification for the use of platform, then it was a waste of taxpayers’ money.
“Not only is it bad for the grass but it was done at the taxpayers’ expense,” he said.
“The KL MPs will meet the mayor on Sept 18, and I will request the mayor Datuk Mohd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz, to give a thorough explanation on why the platforms were installed instead of using the turf protection mats,” he said.
Wangsa Maju MCA division chairman Datuk Yew Teong Look also demanded for an explanation. “DBKL must explain why the turf protection mat was not used when it was readily available.
“If it was bought for the purpose, why not just use it instead of getting contractors to put up platforms. DBKL must explain its decision to use the platforms,” he said.
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