KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) recently held two engagement sessions with Masjid India stakeholders at which the local authority briefed the latter on the progress of remedial work following the sinkhole incidents last month.

Foremost among the issues was the closure of a 160m-long stretch of Jalan Masjid India, from Wisma Yakin to the area's police beat base, to facilitate utility and soil structure inspections.

During the sessions, held on Sept 5, DBKL also presented the site plan, including the proposed installation of hoarding. The hoarding installation began the very next day.

"Repair work on the manhole at the incident site (ground zero) is ongoing. For the manhole near the police beat base on Jalan Masjid India, Indah Water Konsortium has repaired the sewer pipes, and soil inspection work will commence (today) before final finishing work is carried out," DBKL's corporate planning media unit said in a statement.

DBKL also proposed a new layout plan for the Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman night market, including suggestions for relocating the affected vendors due to the ongoing soil repair work, the statement said.

Meanwhile, representatives from Masjid India requested additional space outside the mosque for Friday prayers, as the existing space inside the mosque was not enough.

Traders around Jalan Masjid India also requested DBKL's cooperation to continuously promote the area to attract visitors.

DBKL said the first engagement session was led by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kula Segaran and included the members of parliament from Bukit Bintang, Cheras and Batu.

Also present was DBKL executive director (project management) Mohamad Hamim and other senior officials, as well as representatives of IWK.

"During this session, it was agreed that DBKL, as the coordinating agency, would provide weekly updates on the progress at the site to the involved vendors," said the statement.

Mohamad, meanwhile, led the second engagement session, which was also attended by IWK and representatives of the Minerals and Geoscience Department.

"DBKL and all agencies are working together to rehabilitate the area around Masjid India, including recovery and reconstruction efforts, to ensure that (it) remains a safe area for visitors," said the statement.

Last month, Indian tourist G. Vijaya Lakshmi was swallowed up by a sinkhole that opened up at her feet as she was walking along Jalan Masjid India.

Search and rescue efforts involving various agencies were launched immediately but she was never found.

Her family, with whom she had been visiting Malaysia, have since returned to India, having accepted that she has been lost.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/09/1103679/kl-sinkholes-160m-stretch-jalan-masjid-india-closed-inspections