KUALA LUMPUR: Residents living near slopes or hilly areas need to be taught to recognise early landslide signals, an expert suggested.
Geology Engineering and Soil Mechanics expert Dr Nor Shahidah Mohd Nazer said a landslide was unlike floodwater which rose slowly, adding there would not be much time before the final signs appeared.
“The time for residents to save themselves is very short, not even one minute. An indicator which should be closely watched is fast discharge of water on the surface of the slope. Sometimes there is erosion on the slope which shows the path of water flow – some areas could start to rupture causing trees to topple as their roots are no longer holding to the ground,” she told Bernama.
The Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Earth Science and Environment Department senior lecturer said the Google Earth website showed topography changes on images of open surfaces on slopes on which landslides might occur.
“These signs are frequently the closest indicators of an impending landslide, and such information can be channelled to the authorities for further action. If there are signs of instability, stay away from the site, at least five to 10 metres away,” she said.
She said residents at such areas are advised to be alert during downpours as continuous rain was among the elements that led to water retention. As such, the slope would lose its stability leading to slope failure or landslides.
On the landslide at Taman Bukit Permai 2, Ampang, which took four lives and damaged 15 houses and 10 vehicles, Nor Shahidah said Ampang was known as an area that was very prone to land failure due to its land exploration.
“Without a buffer zone, such areas have high risk of soil movement which could slide down to bury houses. In my view, the landslide area in Bukit Permai is made up of an active clay type where the water content seeped over a wide area, leading to the slope failure,” she added.
Nor Shahidah said slope maintenance should be conducted every five years regardless of climate and atmospheric changes.
“And depending on the types of maintenance or mitigation structures, slopes should be checked in eight to 10 years as landslides are a dynamic and natural process. What we can do is minimise the impact of the landslide itself by slope maintenance on slopes that have failed or have the potential to fail, ” she said.
Nor Shahidah said there was also a need to install an inclinometer in residential areas at highlands to reduce the risk of off season floods and landslides.
On the level of preparedness to face natural disasters, Nor Shahidah said feedback provided to rescue teams or authorities, showed that the country was prepared for such disasters although some areas could be improved.
“For example, during a landslide, rescue teams giving assistance should have the knowledge on the nature of the soil so as not to trigger a series of soil movements when rescuing victims which may harm the rescuers themselves.
“The rescue team should also know and understand the characteristics of the soil and not just resort to digging which may lead to further soil movement,” she said.
Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention Research Initiative-Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Geological Hazards Programme head Dr Lim Choun Sian said the knowledge, preparation and alertness of Malaysians on natural disasters was still low especially on floods and landslides including earthquakes as not much exposure or practical training was provided.
“What we usually get is fire training from schools to occupational training. Countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan and the other neighbouring countries are more prepared. In Malaysia, people are more relaxed as we are not exposed to such dangers especially earthquakes,” he added.
Lim said there were also cases where residents refused to evacuate during a flood when ordered by the authorities, adding that the government must help by providing education and exposure on ways to deal with natural disasters.