KUALA LUMPUR: Approval for housing projects on hill slopes should not be given prior to detailed soil structure studies being conducted, said Structural Geology and Tectonics expert, Prof Dr Mustaffa Kamal Shuib of Universiti Malaya.
He said such studies were important to ensure that the construction of buildings suit the soil structure in the areas involved to ensure safety of the residents at all times.
“Most of the land in Malaysia are clayey in nature and absorb water easily, so with heavy rainfall the soil becomes saturated and lose its cohesive property, hence resulting in landslides,” he told Bernama when asked to comment on the landslide at Teratai Apartments, Taman Bukit Raya in Bukit Beruntung, Selangor last Monday.
“Housing development projects in hilly areas will involve the cutting of hill slopes and indirectly, this will disturb the natural structure of the land, resulting in instability to the area in the long term.
“Therefore, developers should be responsible by conducting regular surveys at the housing projects even after the projects have been completed and the houses occupied, to avoid the occurrence of landslides,” he said.
Meanwhile, Malay Contractors Association of Malaysia (PKMM) assistant secretary-general, Jamaludin Non said the cutting of slopes for housing projects must conform to the designs and drawings after evaluation by professional engineers.
“If there are hill slopes in the area, the developer must build concrete walls with water flow passages from top to bottom to avoid the build-up of pressure to the land below,” he said.
He added that when conducting soil structure assessment, the developer must take into consideration the entire area and not only focus on the hilly areas where landslides could occur.
“If a particular housing project adjacent to a slope has been certified safe, it does not mean that landslides will not occur in future, as future developments in nearby areas may cause water to flow back and result in landslides,” he said.
Hulu Selangor Municipal Council member, June Leow said she would ask the Public Works Department (PWD), Land and Mines Office and the Drainage and Irrigation Department to carry out repairs to the affected area (in Taman Bukit Raya) to ensure the safety of residents.
“The repairs are to strengthen the soil structure at the affected area due to water flow and to reduce the risk of landslides.
“We have also asked Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) to carry out maintenance works to ensure the cables in the area are safe,” she said.
Some 860 people from 219 families, occupying two blocks at Teratai Apartments, Taman Bukit Raya, have been affected by the landslide which occurred at 10am on Monday.
They have since been housed at three shelters, namely Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Taman Bunga Raya 1, SK Taman Bunga 2 and SMK Taman Bunga Raya 1. — Bernama