Kuala Lumpur City Hall will be getting additional personnel to monitor slopes and landslide-prone areas in the city.
Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu), who is the Deputy Federal Territories Minister, said there were 3,441 slopes and hilly areas in the nation’s capital.
“These slopes and hilly areas are monitored by a team of not more than 300 personnel,” Jalaluddin told the Dewan Rakyat this morning.
“City Hall is planning to add more manpower and is working out the details.”
Jalaluddin was responding to a question by Hannah Yeoh (DAP-Segambut).
He also explained that land that came under City Hall would be monitored by its team.
“Our problem is privately-owned land. The monitoring must be done by the landowners and the developers,” he added.
“Government agencies that own land will be asked to monitor (their parcels).”
In her column on Sunday, Twentytwo13 managing editor Pearl Lee, highlighted the exposed soil near a slope next to the Kuala Lumpur Forestry Department.
She said the exposed slope was a terrifying sight for those who drove along Jalan Ampang, and that it was made even worse by the torn and disintegrating tarpaulin sheets meant to protect the soil from torrential rain.
The sheets were placed at the location following a landslide on Dec 19. In 2013, nine cars were buried in a landslide at the same spot, following heavy rain.
There are many other areas in Kuala Lumpur, including near the Parliament building, and Bank Negara, where these sheets have been placed to mitigate the damage from downpours.
On the subject of flash floods, Jalaluddin said City Hall was in the midst of implementing an early-warning system at various flood-prone areas in the city.
“For example, 51 closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs) are being installed at flood hotspots. Thirteen have already been fixed.
“City Hall will also install sirens, as a warning system, in five areas – Lorong Kiri Keramat, Jalan Chan Sow Lin, Taman U-Thant, Jalan 9 Kampung Cheras Baharu, and in Kampung Sungai Baharu.
“Work has started and will be completed soon.”
