IPOH, Dec 19 — After the tragic Batang Kali landslide incident, Perak Infrastructure, Energy, Water and Public Transport executive chairman Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin today said that all high-risk slope areas in the state are being checked amid the rainy season to prevent any untoward incident.
He said the Perak Public Works Department (PWD) have been tasked with monitoring these areas.
"There are 239 slope area categorised as very high risk, 211 area as high risk, 642 areas as moderate risk, 777 areas as low risk and 1562 locations as very low risk.
"There are also three very critical routes at the moment which are Jalan Tapah - Cameron Highland (FT059), Jalan Baling Grik (FT004) (East - West Highway) and Jalan Simpang Pulai - Blue Valley (FT 185),” he said in a press conference prior to State Assembly sitting at the State Secretariat Building here.
Mohammad Nizar said that the state PWD has installed sensors and rain gauges in the critical slope locations, which will relay warning to the department for monitoring and emergency actions.
Based on recent monitoring around the high-risk locations, he said a repeat of the Batang Kali incident in the state is unlikely.
"PWD advises the road user to be more careful especially during the rainy season when the rain capacity is very unusual,” he said.
Mohammad Nizar said that PWD, together with the federal and state road maintenance concessionaires, will carry out more patrols.
"They will also trim all grass near roads and clean drains to avoid clogging.
"Emergency works involve traffic management, cleaning landslide debris and closing the landslide affected area,” he said.
He also said a total of 23 locations involving federal roads at the Kinta, Hulu Perak, Batang Padang, Larut Matang and Selama, Hilir Perak and Mualim districts have received approval for repair works to commence in 2023.
Meanwhile, for the state roads, Mohammad Nizar said the government has repaired 10 slope locations, involving the districts of Kuala Kangsar, Larut Matang and Selama, Hulu Perak, Hilir Parak, Kampar and Mualim with a cost of RM40 million.
As of Sunday, of the 94 people caught in the Batang Kali landslide, 24 people have been confirmed dead while nine others remain missing.
