PUCHONG – Groundwater at the landslide area at Taman Wawasan here will be diverted to prevent further soil movement.
Serdang district police chief A.A. Anbalagan, who told the press this, also said that waterlogged soil in the area was a likely factor in the landslide, which occurred on Saturday evening following heavy rainfall.
Anbalagan said the Minerals and Geosciences Department is currently looking into where the water can be diverted to.
“There is a waterway in the area where the landslide occurred. It seems this area was blocked by soil and other material. This caused ‘ponding’ of water in the surrounding area.
“(The Minerals and Geosciences Department) is looking at the situation and there is a proposal to drain this waterway in another direction or to a nearby river,” he told the media this afternoon after a visit to the site.
Earlier today, Anbalagan said soil movement had been detected as of yesterday, posing a risk to the nearby houses.
Today, however, there has been no significant soil movement, he said.
Despite this, there is concern that if rainy weather returns, the soil will become unstable again.
“There are still some water reservoirs (in the ground) which we fear will cause soil movement if the rain returns,” Anbalagan said.
Meanwhile, the Minerals and Geosciences Department, the Public Works Department and Subang Jaya City Council are also conducting structural assessment of houses near the landslide zone, he added.
The landslide on Jalan Wawasan 3/9 brought down part of the road in front of some houses. No one was injured although four vehicles were damaged.
Nine households, involving 29 people, were ordered to vacate for safety.
The ground in the area is being strengthened with 375 iron piles, a task that is scheduled for completion in two weeks, depending on weather conditions, Anbalagan said.
Of the four vehicles that fell into the crater caused by the landslide, Anbalagan said only one had been lifted out by a crane, so far, and three other vehicles are still buried. – December 18, 2023