TAMAN WAWASAN COLLAPSE: AREA DECLARED SAFE TO LIVE IN FROM NOV 1

PUCHONG, Nov 1 (Bernama) -- The area of ​​the landslide that occurred on Dec 16 last year at Taman Wawasan here is now safe to be inhabited again by residents of the nine homes evacuated after the collapse which also swallowed four cars.

The announcement came from chairman of the Petaling District Disaster Management Committee, Huzunul Khaidil Mohammed after an official visit with various related agencies was held on Oct 28.

He said the decision to declare Taman Wawasan free from disaster and collapse was made based on the advice received from the agencies involved, besides taking into account the technical report from the engineering division of the Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ).

“I declare the area of ​​Jalan Wawasan 3/9, Taman Wawasan, Puchong to be free from landslides and all families involved can move into their homes with effect from today,” he said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, Kinrara assemblyman Ng Sze Han said the total cost of the landslide repair work amounted to RM12.12 million involving two main phases of temporary and permanent stabilisation, starting from Dec 17, 2023 until Oct 24, 2024.

“On Dec 17 last year, MBSJ appointed a contractor to carry out temporary stabilisation work to install steel piles in the rubble area and repair the 83-metre long monsoon drain.

“On May 15, 2024, permanent stabilisation work began and took approximately six months... to be fully completed in less than a year for the large rubble area, which also involved the construction of gabion walls and slope restabilisation,” said the Selangor Investment, Trade and Mobility Commiittee chairman in a press conference here today.

According to him, previously, there were four families who chose to live temporarily in the MBSJ quarters while another five families lived with relatives and now all the residents of the nine houses can return to their homes which have been repaired.

“I have been informed now that all residents are busy cleaning their homes to move back in the near future. Their homes are guaranteed to be safe and they can return anytime starting today,” Ng said.

“The MBSJ also instructed developers and landowners to check the main ditch as well as periodic checks along the main ditch line from Tasik Wawasan to the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP) that it stays strong,” said MBSJ engineering division director Dr Mohd Ariffuddin Kamari.

On Dec 16, 2023, a landslide affecting the existing monsoon drain area and the slope occurred following a very high intensity of rainfall of 95.5 millimetres (mm).

The incident involved the collapse of an area of ​​0.872 hectares and resulted in nine houses affected.

-- BERNAMA