MPS: Batu Caves unfit to house cable car

The hilltop Sri Subramaniar Temple in Batu Caves which was supposed to be home for a cable car line, was found to be unfit to support the long awaited project.

This was the findings in the early report from the consultants appointed by the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) to conduct soil stability studies around the temple complex.

MPS president Mohd Azizi Mohd Zain said the report, which was tabled last Thursday at a meeting attended by the Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, Selangor Economic Action Council (MTEN) and other council representatives, found that certain areas in the temple vicinity were unstable.

“The cable car line consists of a lower station near the foot of the temple staircase and an upper station near the hilltop temple.

“The report shows that the lower station is stable while the upper station is unstable. If the cable car project is built on unstable land, it might risk public safety,” he told Astro AWANI.

Mohd Azizi said the council is currently waiting for the full report to be tabled, before they can proceed with giving recommendations to the temple’s contractors.

The cable car project was put to a stop by MPS after the council issued a stop-work order on June 6, citing that several buildings within Batu Caves were built without permits.

The structures include toilets, a 140ft Lord Murugan statue as well as the temple’s 272-step staircase.

Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Dhevasthanam committee chairman Datuk R. Nadarajah had said that it was unfair for MPS to issue a stop working order suddenly as plans for the cable car project had been approved by the council earlier.

Despite that, Nadarajah told Astro AWANI that the temple management had complied with MPS by submitting building plans for about 20 structures in the vicinity including the staircase, as required by the council.

“We had submitted the building plans four to five months ago. The council has not responded until today. We are still waiting for them to give the green light to continue this project.

“They must remember that this is not the temple’s project or my project. This is the people’s project.

“If they want us to stop building the cable car, we will, but this is for the people,” he said.

Commenting on this, Mohd Azizi confirmed that they received the building plans sent by the temple management but they still have to await the full report of the soil stability studies before taking any action.

“It was never the council’s intention to stop the cable car project. This is not about denying facilities to the rakyat. This is about public safety,” Mohd Azizi said.

The cable car was initially scheduled to be completed by this month, in time for the Thaipusam festival which falls on Jan 17.

The project, worth RM10 million, was contracted to the Calcutta-based company Damodar Ropeways.