GEORGE TOWN: A non-governmental organisation has sounded alarm that the Sungai Ara hillslope affordable housing project could be a potential site for a major landslide to occur, similar to the Tanjung Bungah landslide, which claimed the lives of 11 workers.
Citizens Awareness Chant Group adviser Yan Lee raised several questions pertaining to the project after state Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo was quoted as saying that he was certain that the developer had passed all the guidelines set for the project.
Yan, who attended the ongoing Commission of Inquiry (COI into the Tanjung Bungah landslide, said there were major flaws in the whole system, where the approval was granted for the project.
He raised concerns since similar system was applied in the approval for the new Sungai Ara hillslope affordable housing project.
Yan said there was no buffer zone at the base of the slope.
"We were informed by the MBPP Geotechnical Engineer that a buffer zone is required for safety and should be one and a half times the height of the cut slope."
The buffer zone, he said, is measured from the toe or base of the slope going outwards.
“This Sungai Ara hillslope affordable housing project do not seem to have the buffer zone. We demand the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) to come clean about the project.
He also asked MBPP to explain if the hill, which the Sungai Ara project site sits, would be cut more than 15 degrees, which is considered dangerous for any residential area if a landslide takes place.
Based on the COI, he also questioned if the project would be supervised by the MBPP, as apparently, the Tanjung Bungah project where the landslide occurred, was self supervised by the engineer of the developer there.
“In the COI hearing, it was revealed that three mini landslides happened before the major one occurred last year, where many people died.
“In those three times, the MBPP had no idea that it had ever happened. They simply washed heir hands off it. So for this project, is it going to be the same?” he asked.
He said it was important for a geotechnical engineer to supervise the project in Sungai Ara.
“These major flaws are pointed out in the COI and by the time they had completed the final report, it could be 12 months down the road and it would be too late to prevent potential accidental death in this Sungai Ara project, if disaster strikes,” he warned.
Three towers of affordable housing blocks - two of them with 46 storey and another one with 43 storey, were approved to be built on a steep slope of Sungai Ara.
Residents expressed shock that they were neither consulted nor informed of the high-rise building to be erected at their neighbourhood.
Geotechnical experts have also raised concerns over the high-density project and warned the developer to be careful to avoid slope failure.
Met at a separate event, state Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said that the developer had followed the requirements and specifications before they were given approval for the project by the MBPP.
He said that the state government could only take action against the developer if they did not adhere to the guidelines.
“The developer is also expected to build barrier walls and further work on retention walls to strengthen the slope, so there should not be a problem as they are following the guidelines,” he said.