THE eight-metre-deep sinkhole that swallowed Indian national Vijayalaksmi, 48, marks more than just a tragedy, but the beginning of a debate concerning the safety of Kuala Lumpur residents.
Since a few decades back, sinkholes have periodically appeared across Kuala Lumpur.
There comes, of course, the burning question on how to spot the development of a sinkhole before one opens up right below a hapless person’s feet.
But what are the signs? According to Public Health Malaysia in a post on X, there are several noticeable and subtle hints that herald the occurrence of a sinkhole.
Kejadian yang berlaku pada seorang pelancong warga negara India semalam boleh berlaku pada sesiapa sahaja.
Semoga usaha pencarian dipermudahkan. Sinkhole boleh muncul secara tiba-tiba dan mengancam keselamatan anda. Jangan abaikan tanda-tanda awal ini:
Thread pic.twitter.com/NuKfBuSp6A
— Public Health Malaysia (@health_malaysia) August 24, 2024
Among the most obvious ones are the sinking ground or floor due to the destabilisation of the earth underfoot.
Sudden cracks on the wall or road are equally telling signs, stated Public Health Malaysia.
The group added that stationary and stable objects such as trees or poles that start to incline are also signs of danger.
On a subtle level, home owners will find their piping system leaking or suddenly clogged. This is likely due to the earth in the subterranean region collapsing.
Extending from this is the rapid fall in ground water level, another pointer to problems underground.
According to a case study done by Universiti Teknologi MARA faculty of architecture, the problem can be systematically managed even though it cannot be completely prevented.
The researcher continued, saying that the impact of sinkhole hazards can be significantly reduced if hazard zones are predicted and mapped prior to any development activity.
To recap, the case study included a hazard map pointing out very high risk areas such as Jinjang, Kepong, Ampang and Pandan Jaya, adding that most of the susceptible zones were covered by mining and urbanised land use.
Note that land previously mined usually contains sand and clay. Based on the hazard map, the high and very high hazard zones in Ampang are concentrated at the centre and western area.
It covers the major part of Ampang city bounded by Kuala Lumpur territory.
The case study further pointed out that high dense urbanised areas surrounded by mined land can be classified identical with Kuala Lumpur. – Aug 26, 2024
Main image: theatlantic.com
