Air and noise pollution are coming from building site nearby
GEORGE TOWN: RESIDENTS of Persiaran Halia 1, off Mt Erskine here, have been having sleepless nights, no thanks to the polluted air and noise arising from rock-blasting at a construction site nearby.
The dust from the debris has undermined the air quality and causing several elderly residents to feel sick after inhaling the tiny particles. The debris has also gone into the stream behind the terrace houses, leaving a stench that has made some of the residents ill.
Despite numerous complaints to the Penang Island Muncipal Council, the residents' plight has fallen on deaf ears.
One resident, Linda Fernandez who is in her 40s, said she had been suffering from sinus after the air became polluted.
"My family members have been feeling sick of late, breathing in the polluted air. I also cannot afford to take leave due to my heavy workload," she said.
Fernandez also took a swipe at the Department of Environment (DoE) for not acting on the stench that comes from the stream.
"The DoE officials found traces of harmful substances in the stream, but have not rectified the problem. They gave a lame excuse that no action can be taken as the construction workers number only 50, below its requirement of 150," she said, adding that the DoE had blatantly shirked its responsibility by pushing it to MPPP.
"The residents and I are losing patience with the local authorities for dragging their feet to address our complaint," Fernandez said.
To make matter worse, she said the dengue cases were also on the rise due to poor hygiene condition around the construction site.
Meanwhile, Fernandez said the developer had flouted the working hours by continuing to build beyond the stipulated hours at 10pm.
She said it was common for workers to continue construction after 10pm and on weekends.
Some 50 residents live on Persiaran Halia 1 which is located next to the slope construction site.
In an immediate response, a MPPP public communication spokeswoman said she would look into the matter to reassess the complaint.
The developer and DoE could not be reached for comments.
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