GEORGE TOWN – The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has launched an investigation into the cause of sinking soil at the site of a medium-cost housing scheme at Solok Sekolah La Salle in Air Itam here.
The directive was issued after Penang Island mayor Datuk Yew Tun Seang visited the affected residential estate called Taman Harmoni yesterday following complaints lodged by its residents. There are about 50 families living in the scheme’s units.
The probe will focus on why the soil has eroded in recent days.
Kebun Bunga assemblyman Jason Ong Khan Lee told The Vibes the damage appears to have worsened over the past few days.
He assured residents that the council has surveyed the area, and initial findings show that soil stability and the foundation of the apartment building are intact.
“It is not a sinkhole but just that the soil has sunk,” he said. “It could be due to erosion, but we will need to monitor the situation.”
He said the development was likely triggered by land erosion due to a nearby monsoon drain.
A geo-technical team has assessed the area and found no destabilising elements for now.
Asked if neighbouring projects could have triggered the erosion, Ong said that he is unsure.
Penang has been on a watchful path since two major landslides occurred in the state in 2017 and 2018, killing more than 20 people. – The Vibes, October 12, 2021
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