GEORGE TOWN: Another sinkhole appearing in the Jalan Masjid India area in Kuala Lumpur today is cause for concern, says Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM).
SAM president Meenakshi Raman said the situation was worrying, especially over the state of public safety in Kuala Lumpur which are not only vulnerable to sinkholes and land subsidence but also flash floods, landslides and slope failures arising from the current season of frequent and intense rains.
She said it was clear that more comprehensive action was needed and preventive measures to safeguard public safety in all areas of high risk in the city.
"While we grapple with the sinkhole or land subsidence problem, SAM is also concerned about the likelihood of flash floods similar to the disaster that took place at the LRT Station in Masjid Jamek in 2020, which led to massive losses and damage, including in other parts of the city.
"In the case of the sinkhole tragedy, we echo the call by other groups for the City Hall to release the map of the city's underground and make public the mitigation and safety measures that are being undertaken to prevent more tragedies from happening," she said today.
SAM, Meenakshi said, also shared the calls for measures to enhance public safety in public areas by:
- putting in place an interagency committee coordinated by the Mayor of City Hall to oversee, monitor and inspect high-risk areas;
- inform the public about what measures are being taken to mitigate the impacts of disasters;
- putting in place improved signage and barriers in high-risk areas so that the public is on the alert and warned sufficiently;
- undertake enhanced emergency response measures especially in high-risk areas, including in educating the public;
- maintain increased transparency and communication for all residents and the public in high-risk areas regarding safety measures and incident responses.
Meenakshi said in the medium and long-term, there was a need for proper adaptation plans by the City Hall in response to climate change impacts and extreme weather events.
She said that included enhancing infrastructure resilience, reducing risks and vulnerabilities to flood, improving soil stability and other ecosystem-based approaches that act as sponges and minimise the overflow of waters into drains and rivers.
"We reiterate the call for more comprehensive measures to be taken which will help prevent and mitigate future disasters," she added.
Yet another sinkhole has emerged about 50 metres away from the site where a tourist was swallowed along Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur earlier today.