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THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) is now relying more on satellite technology to help it plan for the grooming of public trees more efficiently.
Following a spate of rotting trees, MBPP president and Lord Mayor Datuk Anthony Rajendran said the council is now employing tech from its one-stop monitoring centre called "Smart Sight Trees" to monitor 12,531 trees throughout the city.
It costs RM988,000 for the monitoring study, which began in July last year and ends in July this year.
The aerial study will cover up to 45 sq km in the George Town district and depends on satellite tech to provide 94% update on the condition of the trees.
The satellite has high resolution with multiple specifications to focus on the external and internal status of the trees.
He said this after a briefing on the matter, which was attended by the state executive councillor in charge of local government, Jason H'ng Mooi Lye.
"The tech allows us to monitor the trees up close, and we can have accurate classification to prevent trees from crashing and to identify the risk level of aged trees," said Rajendran.
He added that the reports from the satellite can also help in town planning and drive sustainable initiatives which MBPP undertakes.
Penang is the first city council in the country to adopt such a technology.
This is also because the council was overwhelmed by the number of rotting trees crashing, including a few incidents where deaths occurred. - May 6, 2026.