Photo points out the access road and the rubble from the collapsed Horse Head Drinking Water rock formation.
MIRI: The construction of an access road leading towards Tusan beach’s famous ‘Horse Head Drinking Water’ rock formation could have hastened its collapse, said Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) chairman Musa Musbah.
He said he believed construction of the road and building of retaining walls to protect the formation from erosion may have caused the structure, whose texture is mainly sandstone, to become more unstable.
Musa Musbah
“The Horse Head Drinking Water’s geological structure stood on a steep dipping bed of interlaying soft and hard sandstone with thin layers of marine shale.
“At the dip of 45 degree, it sits securely but not as a permanent structure because of good vegetation covering and trees on top and around it. It may fall in years to come but not this soon,” he opined.
Musa pointed out that an aerial photo surrounding the formation showed that the area has been cleared, and questioned the purpose of clearing the vegetation as they are important in absorbing rain water.
“A consultation should be made before making the road,” he said.
The collapse of the iconic ‘Horse Head Drinking Water’ rock formation is believed to have occurred last Thursday night.