Will we learn a hard and painful lesson from the sinkhole tragedy in Kuala Lumpur that sadly took the life of an Indian national?
Vijayaletchumy, 48, fell into the sinkhole on 23 August along Masjid India Road.
The focus now is on whether the city is safe, given the knowledge that we have of limestone cavities and glacier-like shifts underground.
Kuala Lumpur Mayor Maimunah Mohd Sharif has reassured the public that there is no solid evidence to support claims that the city is unsafe for habitation.
Let’s not forget the collapse of a condominium in Ampang owing to soil movement caused by underground waterways.
So any reassurances must come with proper studies and visible corrective action.
The government’s call for the mapping of utilities is therefore both timely but questionable.
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Nga Kor Ming, the Housing and Local Government Minister, wants local authorities, agencies and utility companies to work together to map underground utilities.
So far, after all these decades, there appears to be no centralised, coordinated infrastructure and geological map of the various parties involved in electricity and telecoms cabling, water works and property development.
Earlier, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil reportedly urged Kuala Lumpur City Hall, relevant agencies and utility companies to collaborate in the mapping of underground utilities. This is to prevent any unwanted incidents, especially during the development of projects.
It is timely to have a well-coordinated, centralised, mapping of utilities in place.
We also cannot overlook any studies carried out by geology and engineering experts.
The Earth is experiencing changing weather patterns and rising water levels. So it is crucial to carry out a well-coordinated, authoritative and knowledgeable search for geological shifts.
The government must push ahead with this with great commitment, especially in highly populated valleys like Kuala Lumpur, where a limestone presence is common.
The worry is that findings may be concealed. But given the power of social media, any truth that is hidden will eventually boomerang with a compounding impact.
Hopefully, any scientifically established assurances will be well communicated to the public.
If past building approvals are now found to be endangered by land shifts, decisive action must be taken.
The fear of financial losses or of political accountability should not supersede public safety. Likewise, if it is found that Kuala Lumpur itself may be hit by rising water levels (as was foreseen in cities like Jakarta and Bangkok), then the government is duty-bound to be forthright with the public, with both assurances and mitigation plans.
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
