The Geotechnical Consultancy Unit of the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has refuted claims by a speaker at a Penang Forum dialogue on Sunday, who warned of "ticking time bombs" in hillslope development.
MBPP Geotechnical Consultancy Unit adviser Chin Yaw Ming said hillslopes for development are safe as these are properly designed and endorsed by Professional Engineers with Practicing Certificate (PEPC), who are registered with the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) and have relevant experience in geotechnical engineering.
"Slopes that are properly constructed with engineering supervision are safe.
"Slopes that are regularly maintained are safe. Thus, properly engineered slopes are safe and not a ‘ticking time bomb’," Chin said at a press conference in Komtar today.
He said MBPP fully understood the importance of slope safety for hillside developments and has taken a slope safety initiative based on the Hong Kong concept.
The initiative has been well established since the inception of MBPP’s Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) in 1977, Chin said.
At the Penang Forum on floods and landslides on Sunday, which state leaders did not attend, geotechnical engineer Aziz Noor warned that such "ticking time bombs" needed constant monitoring and maintenance.
His warning came after the tragic Tanjung Bungah landslide on Oct 21 that killed 11 workers, sparking intense criticism against the developer and Penang government from civil society activists and the state opposition.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has described the disaster as a worksite accident, resulting from professional negligence and has formed a State Commission of Inquiry to investigate the landslide and recommend action against those who caused it.
The developer of the 980 units of affordable housing units to be built at the site has pledged to cooperate with the authorities.
Comprehensive requirements being imposed
Chin said the containment of hillside landslide risks was being carried out on newly proposed hillside developments by imposing comprehensive requirements in the geotechnical report.
It is also done by monitoring the design compliance during the construction stage, he added.
These measures would also prevent risks at newly-proposed hillside developments in the future.
"The mitigation of existing hillside development risks is carried out on existing developments by improving the robustness of existing hillslopes.
"This improvement to the slopes will result in a reduction of existing hillside risks.
"In essence, the hillside risks will not go higher with the containment of new development, and the hillside risks will go lower with the improvement of the robustness of existing hillslopes," Chin said.
MBPP had formulated and issued the Safety Guidelines for Hillside Development in 2012.
This guideline has the mechanism for the implementation of the slope safety guidelines.
Chin said all new projects must fulfil the stringent processes from planning, design and construction to maintenance, and must be properly reviewed before approval is given.
"With proper planning, design, construction and maintenance, hillside developments can be as safe as other developments.
"In view of the impending State Commission of Inquiry into the Tanjung Bungah landslide, everybody should refrain themselves from speculating about the incident," he added.- Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.