All eyes on the slopes

Man-made slopes are typically built with a system of drains that control water. When you stand in front of a slope, you will notice that the surface is sectioned into parts, which are called â¿¿bermsâ¿¿. Each section has a â¿¿berm drainâ¿¿, which catch the water coming down from the slope face immediately above and from the berm itself. At the top of the slope, there is a â¿¿cutoff drainâ¿¿. The drain at the very top of a slope to intercept and safely carry away all water coming from areas laying above, including that from the property above. At the bottom, there is a â¿¿toe drainâ¿¿ that accept water from the slope face directly above, from the area below the slope such as roadways and all water discharged by the cascade drains. Toe drains will channel all this water safety away to the public drain or suitable water course. An integral part of the drainage system are the â¿¿cascade drainsâ¿¿, which are vertical drains that run down the length of the slope. Cascade drains have a special function. They

Monitoring to prevent slope failure need not be done by the experts alone. Layman residents can and should also do it.

ACCORDING to a report in The Star last month (March 28), in Kuala Lumpur alone there are more than 800 slopes that have been identified as high-risk for failure.