Camerons Fire Dept prepared for landslides
The Cameron Highlands Fire and Rescue Department is preparing for landslides at various stretches along the way up the hill during the monsoon season.
Pahang Fire and Rescue Department operations officer Ashrul Riezal Asbar said it was getting ready both its equipment and manpower.
The Public Works Department, he said, had already identified 10 landslide-prone areas along Jalan Tapah heading to Camerons, as well as the road from Simpang Pulai in Perak.
“We are on standby to monitor for any eventuality from now until the third week of November, which is expected to be the crucial period,” he said in an interview.
Ashrul Riezal advised the relevant government departments and agencies to monitor the hill closely for any land encroachment, adding that illegal farmlands could lead to soil erosion and flooding.
“Unlike previous years, the chances of floods in the area are slim but we are worried about landslides,” he said.
About 60 personnel from the Ringlet and Brinchang fire stations are on standby.
Ashrul Riezal said the local council and the state’s Public Works Department had also been asked to continue monitoring areas prone to landslides as well as fallen trees.
Last week, three Myanmar nationals, including a married couple, were buried alive when a landslide crashed down on their rumah kongsi in Kuala Terla.
The hut where the three farmers lived was built illegally at the foot of a slope below a road.
Eco-tourism and Conservation Society Malaysia (Ecomy) co-founder and chief executive officer Andrew Sebastian said logging activities in the Temenggor Forest Reserve in Gerik must stop.
He said the logging activities and the current monsoon season could cause erosion as well as pollute and silt up the waterways.
“Most of the landslides are attributed to development and with the rainy season now, such activities must be monitored closely,” he said.
He said a stop-work order must be declared during the monsoon season.