A SPATE of sinkholes have emerged in several areas in and around Brickfields and its surrounding areas, spurring fear that more will pop up and cause damage to property.
The phenomenon, claim residents, is getting worse and it occurs especially after a downpour.
Critical areas are the Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad stretch which is prone to heavy traffic, some parts of Little India and the Jalan Scott area.
Tamil Methodist church Reverend Justin Clarance said that some parts of the church ground was sinking too.
“The tell-tale signs can be seen when doors and windows fail to close properly, and the drains are gradually shifting,” he said.
He said it was a known fact that the area where the church stood used to be an old mining area and was used by people to dump rubbish.
“Some parts of the road are sinking and holes and cracks on the ground are getting bigger.
“It is an increasing cause of concern for residents,” he added.
Little India Petty Traders Association president G. Gunasegaran agreed, saying that the situation was causing problems to residents and motorists.
“The gaping holes and uneven roads have caused many road accidents, particularly involving motorcyclists.
“The fact that no one knows the cause makes us more worried,” he said.
Brickfields Rukun Tetangga chairman S.K.K Naidu urged the authorities to investigate.
“There have been too many incidents for the authorities to just dismiss this,” he said.
He suspected that the drainage system that ran under the area was old and many parts were blocked, causing the numerous burst pipes of late.
“The latest incidence in Little India could also be the result of underground leakage.
“The road surface around the area is gradually sinking.
“We are very concerned and we want the Government to look into this matter before something untoward happens,” he added.
Two weeks ago, the road in front of the SJK (C) St Teresa School at the junction of Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad started sinking, and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) contractors were quick to barricade the area with cones.
The hole was speedily patched up, but it gave way the next day.
DBKL subsequently had to cordon off part of the three-lane road, leaving only a lane open to traffic.
The incident has made residents jittery especially after last year when two large sinkholes appeared in the heart of the city, at the intersection of Jalan Imbi and Jalan Pudu, causing a massive gridlock that lasted for hours.
Geotechnical engineer Tan Yean Chin said sinkholes generally occurred in limestone areas.
He explained that some parts of Kuala Lumpur were made of either sedimentary rock and sand formations or the Kuala Lumpur limestone formation.
“So it is normal for sinkholes to happen naturally, but the process can also be accelerated by earthworks, burst pipe, erosion and construction works,” he elaborated.
Meanwhile Prof Dr Joy Pereira, principal research fellow at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s South-East Asia Disaster Prevention Research Initiative (SEADPRI-UKM), said her team of researchers was keen to study the sinkhole phenomenon in Brickfields as well as other parts of Kuala Lumpur and was awaiting a grant for the research.
“Records compiled by SEADPRI-UKM since 2008 indicate that floods and landslides are the most frequent disasters that occur in Malaysia.
“Subsidence (the gradual caving in or sinking of an area of land) is another common disaster.
“Similar to floods and landslides, subsidence is also influenced by extreme rainfall but unfortunately it is not a well-studied phenomenon in the tropics.
“Changes in the amount and distribution in rainfall will have serious implications for all these hazards,” she added.
Dr Pereira, who is a geologist by profession, said that in May 2014, the Academy of Sciences Malaysia submitted a proposal entitled Disasters and Climate Extremes — An Integrated Framework for Malaysia to the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry to be considered for funding under their Flagship Programme.
“The proposal was developed by a consortium of universities and research institutes in Malaysia.
“A primary objective of the proposed programme is to develop new approaches for integrating multi-hazards and delineating potential zones of hazards and risks, starting with floods and landslides,” she said.
“As the phenomenon of subsidence is also very much influenced by climatic factors, the incidents of apparently increasing sinkholes in urban areas require robust investigation.
“The proposed programme will address gaps in knowledge, policy and information management with respect to disasters and climate extremes in a holistic manner.
“In view of the changing climate, it is high time that the incidences of sinkholes in this country be critically studied, both from its scientific perspective as well as its cumulative economic costs to the government,” she added.
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