KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — The Works Ministry (KKR) has proposed repairing the slope affected by the landslide at Taman Melawati using the soil nailing method.
Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the proposal will be presented at discussions with the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) and private developers soon.
“Considering that the area where the landslide occurred involves the developer’s property, it is suggested that MPAJ engage with the developer for a permanent treatment solution to ensure the stability of the slope and the safety of road users.
“The Slope Engineering Branch of the Public Works Department, as the chair of the Landslide Work Committee under the National Slope Master Plan, will submit a technical expert advisory service report as well as repair proposals to the MPAJ,” he said.
Ahmad was speaking to the press after checking the landslide area today. Department of Minerals and Geosciences (JMG) director-general Datuk Zamri Ramli was also present.
Responding to a question, the deputy minister said the time needed for the repair works to be carried out depends on the landslide meeting, which will be held as early as this Friday (October 18) morning because all the technical reports will only be ready by tomorrow evening.
He said that for now, the short-term mitigation work that will be carried out would include cleaning the debris, including drains above and below the slope, tree pruning works in the slope area, temporary diversion of the waterway, and covering the affected slope area with a canvas tarpaulin.
“The collapse (landslide) occurred along a 30-metre high from the foot of the slope, involving a surface area of 500 square metres. The failure of the wall structure of the drainage system or rubble pitching drain has caused the water to overflow onto the slope surface.
“Increased water flow due to heavy rain weakened the soil structure and knocked down trees on the slopes. The MPAJ has carried out cleaning work on the ditch and will divert the water to the roadside ditch,” Ahmad said.
Ahmad added that KKR has also activated the Disaster Operations Room (Bigben) to monitor 3,200 of the 27,000 slopes across the country that have been identified as at risk during the monsoon season.
“For (the) district-level Bigben, it will be led by district engineers who will report on the current status of the slopes in their respective areas,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zamri confirmed that after a two-hour check at the affected site, JMG detected no new soil movement, and the incident area did not involve limestone.
“The area involved in this incident involves the Schise type rock, which is a type of metamorphic rock and not limestone,” he said.
The landslide at the Jalan Serdang and Jalan E6 intersection, Taman Melawati, occurred following heavy rain at 10.15am yesterday.
The incident forced the occupants of 20 houses, including four affected homes, to evacuate. No casualties were reported.
— Bernama