Slope too steep for buildings
NST 26/06/2006

IT would seem that whenever a landslide occurs in Malaysia, the cycle of blame begins with the residents blaming the developer and the developer blaming the authorities.

Finally, with no one else to point the finger at, the authorities look skywards and call the disaster an act of God.

I live in a residential area called Alam Damai, located in Cheras. It is a beautiful area, with a beautiful landscape and well-kept playgrounds.

However, of late, we are beginning to see construction work being carried out on the hill located beside Persiaran Alam Damai.

When some residents inquired at the sales office of Alam Damai, they were informed that bungalows were going to be built on the hills.

Now, one does not have to be a soil engineer or a rocket scientist to realise that the slope is too steep to start building houses up there.

Even with slight rain, the red mud from this hillslope starts to flow freely down the road and flood the single-storey houses opposite the Persiaran Alam Damai.

One wonders how on earth the developer managed to get permission to begin construction on such a slope.

J.S. Cheras