PETALING JAYA: The slope adjacent to Father’s Organic Farm campsite, which saw a landslide on Dec 16, is just not listed as a crucial slope, says the particular Minerals and Geoscience Department.
Its director-general Hisamuddin Termidi denied reports declaring that the slope located at the Batang Kali-Genting Highlands road have been identified as a critical location.
“This will be untrue and it must be stressed that the department’s critical slope monitoring focuses on settlement areas and natural ski slopes, and does not overlap to stakeholders.
“The slope in the landslide tragedy is not detailed as a critical incline under the department’s overseeing, ” he mentioned in a statement upon Monday (Dec 26).
A landslide occurred in the early hours of December 16. A total of 61 victims were rescued while thirty-one victims were killed in the tragedy.
With regards to settlements or new development proposals on hillside or even slope areas, Hisamudin said a risk assessment is required when developers apply for preparing permission.
“For risks involving geological landslide disasters, the developer needs to appoint a professional geologist authorized under the Board of Geologists Malaysia in making an assessment, inch he said.
Earlier this 30 days, The Star reported that the division had listed 31 hotspots in the country which had been identified as landslide hotspots and warned that with the current continuous rain, the potential for landslides was actually higher.
The particular department said the particular hotspots were in Pahang (Cameron Highlands, Fraser’s Hill), Selangor (Bukit Antarabangsa-Hulu Langat, Kuala Kubu Bharu), Kedah (Gunung Jerai, Baling), Penang (Tanjung Bungah, Paya Terubong), Negri Sembilan (Genting Peras, Jalan Seremban-Simpang Pertang), Perak (Ipoh, Kledang), Terengganu (Aring-Kuala Berang-Kenyir), Kelantan (Lojing – Gua Musang), Johor (Gunung Pulai), Sarawak (Miri, Kapit, Bau) and Sabah (Kota Kinabalu, Kundasang, Sandakan), among others.
Batang Kali had not been listed.