MBDK workers dealing with a dead tree at Jalan Mastika, off Jalan Mengkuang, in Klang.
KLANG Royal City Council (MBDK) has identified high-risk species and dead trees that may be uprooted in a storm, and these will be felled soon.
MBDK Landscape and Recreational Department deputy director Azzura Zainal said it had identified the trees posing a safety hazard and they were scheduled to be cut down.
“We plan to replace them with smaller shade tree species, taking into account shifts in weather patterns.
“Our tree audit noted a number of dead or dying trees, dead branches on living trees and trees that are unstable.
Azzura says the council has identified high-risk trees that need to be cut down.“We have classified these as a hazard that needs immediate attention,” she said.
Klang had seen incidents of “tree failure”, defined as anything from broken branches to fallen trees which Azzura said were caused mainly by adverse weather conditions rather than maintenance issues.
On May 7, a large tree along Jalan Sultan Ismail in Kuala Lumpur fell onto 17 vehicles during an afternoon thunderstorm, killing a 47-year-old man and injuring two others.
The incident also disrupted the city’s monorail services at four stations as some branches had fallen onto the elevated track.
Azzura said high-risk species had high potential for its branches to break easily or topple in a thunderstorm, but did not reveal the number of trees scheduled to be felled.
“Based on a tree assessment carried out in Klang, the high-risk tree species are Angsana (pterocarpus indicus), African mahogany (khaya senegalensis) and Jambu Laut (eugenia grandis); all three are not local species.
“Another species that easily breaks in strong wind is the rain tree (samanea saman).
“We will have a tree felled if it threatens people’s safety,” she said.
MBDK’s tree assessment involves the use of a resistograph and visual assessments to detect tree defects such as decaying branches or roots, leaning or unbalanced tree structures as well as dead branches.
Azzura said 790 trees throughout Klang were assessed last month and their branches pruned, while some trees were felled as they were tagged as high-risk.
“Last year, 5,108 trees were pruned, with some removed.”
She said the city council would follow the National Landscape Department’s advice to plant species of smaller shade trees to replace those cut down.
“MBDK carries out continuous assessment on high-risk trees, keeping in mind safety issues including environmental preservation and conservation aspects.”
She said the city council would continue pruning trees at the more scenic tree-lined routes in urban areas.
“This is necessary as development had affected wind directions and water flow, impacting the trees growth and resilience.”
