PETALING JAYA: Legal tasks for sustaining trees alongside public roads are outlined in statutes such because the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 and native authorities by-laws from 1976.
Lawyer Kokila Vaani Vadiveloo stated the laws specify duties associated to the maintenance and upkeep of streets, footways and trees, putting obligations on the related authorities and property owners.
She was commenting on Tuesday’s incident wherein a 47-year-old man died after a big tree was uprooted in Jalan Sultan Ismail in Kuala Lumpur throughout a thunderstorm, crushing a number of automobiles and damaging a bus cease.
“In conditions the place people are injured or killed as a result of falling trees, searching for compensation or authorized recourse is dependent upon establishing negligence.
“If it’s confirmed, authorized motion for damages may be pursued. However, if the incident is categorised as an ‘act of nature’, authorized avenues for compensation could also be restricted,” she stated.
At 1.50pm the identical day, the Meteorological Department issued a warning and urged the general public to train warning in anticipation of potential thunderstorms.
The warning lined a number of states and areas, together with Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Pahang, Selangor, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, Johor, Sarawak and Sabah.
During her go to to the crash website, Minister within the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa stated inspections have been carried out “as soon as each two years”.
“While the 50-year-old tree was below personal supervision, the frequency of inspections must be elevated, particularly given the unpredictable climate circumstances,” she stated.
To this, Universiti Putra Malaysia Road Safety Research Centre professor Dr Law Teik Hua stated insufficient upkeep practices corresponding to rare inspections or neglecting to prune branches can improve the probability of tree failure occasions.
He stated it was apparent {that a} extra frequent inspection schedule is required, particularly for trees in city areas with excessive vehicular visitors.
“These trees pose a threat to public security. Regular inspections assist promptly determine points or hazards, and scale back the probability of accidents brought on by falling trees.”
Law stated building actions close to trees can even injury roots or alter the soil construction, lowering stability within the course of.
“Urban environments can restrict the pure unfold of tree roots, resulting in weaker anchoring.
“The authorities should utilise superior applied sciences corresponding to drone surveys, Geographic Information System mapping and tree threat evaluation instruments to proactively determine potential hazards.”
Architecture and Urban Design senior lecturer Ungku Norani Sonet Ungku Abdul Rahman really useful bettering inspection methods.
“City, municipal, and district councils ought to prioritise upkeep and encourage neighborhood involvement. Policies ought to be revised to ensure environment friendly highway security measures,” she stated.
Considering points corresponding to local weather, soil high quality, development patterns and root programs, Ungku Norani emphasised the need of choosing acceptable tree species for planting alongside public roads.
“Additionally, sustaining older trees turns into very important given the unpredictable climate circumstances.
“It is vital to take away present trees and keep away from planting species identified to have aggressive root programs or weak branches vulnerable to failure.”
To mitigate dangers, Ungku Norani prompt systematic inspection protocols, selective tree planting, adherence to pruning tips, safety of root zones and clear emergency response procedures.
Following the incident, Monorail providers between KL Sentral and Medan Tuanku station have been halted because the fallen tree had blocked the tracks close to the Raja Chulan monorail station.
