THERE are 1,474 slopes with moderate to very high hazard identified in five states which may be affected in the northeast monsoon season.

Senior Works Minister Fadillah Yusof said slopes with such risks are located in several critical federal roads in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor and Negeri Sembilan such as the federal roads FT1, FT3, FT4, FT5, FT8, FT86, and FT185.

“They were identified through the slope risk and hazard maps of the Works Ministry for slopes along federal roads in Malaysia in 2020,” he said during the Ministers’ Question Time at Dewan Rakyat today.

He was replying to a question by Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli (Dungun-PAS) on the preparation of the ministry to ensure roads and slopes with potential for landslides during the monsoon season, especially in east coast states.

Fadillah said his ministry is also monitoring slopes along highways, especially the Kuala Lumpur- Karak Expressway and East Coast Expressway (LPT) phases 1 and 2, and the measures that were taken as preparations to ensure slopes along the highway are safe.

He said the critical roads were identified through criteria, such as alternative roads exceeding 50km, main roads, highland areas, and the number of very high and high hazard slopes, and slopes with frequent landslides.

Meanwhile, Fadillah said the ministry, with the Slope Engineering Branch (CKC) of the Works Department, has installed a landslide Early Warning System (EWS) at locations of risk by using the telemetry system, which would give early warning when the rainfall index at the rain gauge exceeds the warning level.

He said there are 48 rain gauge stations nationwide with 36 stations in Peninsular Malaysia and they are installed on federal roads with potential of landslides, such as FT59, FT185, FT4, FT55, FT102 and several other critical routes.

He said the ministry had also attended several series of engagements with the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) as well as other agencies in preparing for the 2021-2022 northeast monsoon.

East coast states are expected to face the northeast monsoon, which usually starts in October lasting till March next year following heavy rain during the period. – Bernama, November 9, 2021.