GEORGE TOWN: Good monitoring and administration actions are key to curbing landslides and erosion alongside hilly stretches, says a college professor.
Prof Dr Fauziah Ahmad from Universiti Sains Malaysia School of Civil Engineering stated that whereas some incidents had been pure disasters or due to local weather change, most occurrences may very well be monitored and managed correctly.
“The key to managing landslides is to conduct proper monitoring of slopes and critical areas.
“When a landslide occurs, it means there is slope failure on parts of the hill, so we do sheet piling on the slopes to stabilise them.
“It helps to control soil movement with the sheets penetrating the soil to a certain length to ensure the soil behind it cannot move.
“Realistically, we cannot do sheet piling on every slope and we also cannot protect every part of the hill,” she stated.
Prof Fauziah stated the authorities ought to monitor vital areas and hill slopes from time to time.
“It is not practical to carry out monitoring occasionally. When no changes or soil movements are detected, the slopes or critical areas are left unchecked for a long time,” she stated.
Prof Fauziah stated Malaysia may be taught from Hong Kong, which has a scientific method to monitor slopes and demanding areas.
“The authorities in Hong Kong monitor slopes and critical areas regularly, especially if there are communities there.
“We should learn from such practices. For hills which are away from the community, we can leave Mother Nature to take its course.
“But if there are communities near the hills, we need to have appropriate measures and awareness,” she added.
Prof Fauziah stated landslides and soil erosion are virtually inevitable when there are torrential rains or extended rainfall.
“When there is a lot of rain, the water weight would carry along loose particles or soil.
“So when the flood subsides, we see a lot of mud, soil and residue.
“Whenever there is flooding, water could wash away the soil and the water weight can carry along the loose particles.
“This is why we can see shallow or deep sliding on parts of hill slopes during heavy rainfall,” she stated.
Prof Fauziah, who’s an professional in soil and slope motion, stated when it comes to torrential rain, massive quantities of rainwater may seep into the soil.
“The soil would start to accumulate water, causing soil movement.
“If the resistance of the soil or slope is not strong, it will slide and carry the water and all the particles with it,” she stated.
Over the years, Penang has been hit with incidents of landslide with the worst being on Oct 21, 2017 the place 11 employees comprising a neighborhood, 5 Bangladeshis, two Indonesians, two Myanmar nationals and a Pakistani had been buried by a landslide at an inexpensive housing development website in Lengkok Lembah Permai, Tanjung Bungah.
A yr later, one other main landslide took the lives of 9 international employees and injured 4 others on the Bukit Kukus highway venture website.
The development firm and the venture director of the Paya Terubong paired roads venture in Jalan Bukit Kukus had been later fined RM35,000 every after they pleaded responsible to an amended cost of failing to present protected working procedures on the venture website.
