Solve silting problem, state urged

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THE stench, rubbish and silting problem along Gurney Drive has gotten from bad to worse.

Bukit Bendera MCA division vice-chairman Tan Khai Beng said he had been monitoring the situation for the past five months and noted how the popular tourist landmark has become dirtier.

“They (the local council) only collect the rubbish by the rocks but what about the muddy shoreline that is getting thicker by the day? The silting problem has become very bad.

“The state government must dredge the mud flat that is stinking up the whole area when the tide is low,” he said.

An eyesore: Rubbish found strewn on the muddy shoreline in Gurney Drive, Penang

Tan, who is also the party’s Kelawei branch chairman, said the Tourism Ministry had given large allocations to improve the tourism sector here while the state government was still busy politicking.

“Please do something fast. The mud is so high now that during high tide, the sea water can easily splash over the barricade and onto the promenade,” he said.

In an immediate response, state Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the previous administration was “fully responsible” for the silting problem.

“The previous government had approved the land reclamation project in Tanjong Tokong without considering the impact while we have been working with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) to clean up the state’s coastal area.

“The state government and USM are also conducting an ongoing study of the rubbish flow to improve the coastal environment,” he said.