Thumbs Down
By A. Jeyaraj
I was shocked to see the condition of the Kinta River banks on either side of Jalan Iskandar Shah (Hugh Low Street) bridge. The river banks are not being maintained in the city centre. It is an eye sore. There are viewing platforms on either side of the river with railings beneath the bridge but it is not safe to go there because of the tall grass. One has to see the place to assess the condition, words cannot describe in detail.
In the fifties I was living in Lahat Lane and people staying in DID/PWD quarters and residents from the Malay kampong across Sungai Pari used the banks of Kinta River as their main thoroughfare to go to town up to Kallumalai Temple along Jalan Raja Musa Aziz (Anderson Road). The banks were well maintained and people used it day and night.
However, the banks of Sungai Pari are well maintained. The contractor cuts grass every two weeks. It is safe to walk on the bunds, except for the cow dung scattered all over the place which is a health hazard.
Ipoh came into existence because of Kinta River which divides the town into two. We should be ashamed of ourselves for not maintaining the river banks at least in the city centre. It is not enough to maintain the banks only along the short stretch of Kinta River Walk. What type of impression are we giving our tourists?
Instead of passing the buck, the relevant authorities must maintain the river bunds.
