'Quarry reopening won't affect Babagon dam'
Published on: Saturday, March 28, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Babagon Dam's structure is strong enough to withstand mild vibrations and thus will not be affected by the proposed reopening of a quarry in the area.NSW Public Works Dams and Dams Safety Assistant Principal Engineer George Samios stated that he would only worry about the safety of the dam if such activity is carried out upstream."The distance from the quarry site to the wall of the dam is about a kilometre and I suppose if explosives are used, they will not detonate all of them at once but in succession.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Because of this, I do not believe there would be adverse impact on the structure of the dam," he said after presenting his paper on Babagon Dam at the World Water Day 2015 Convention here.He added that the dam was built with enough strength to withstand an earthquake of up to 5.5 on the Richter scale. The strongest earthquake ever felt in Sabah was the earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter scale in Lahad Datu in 1976.The Babagon Dam, which was completed in 1997, was investigated and designed by the Dams and Civil Section of NSW Public Works for John Holland (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd. It is now managed and operated by Corporate Dynamics Sdn Bhd.The dam is the main water storage for Kota Kinabalu and comprises a concrete faced rockfill embankment, approximately 73metre high with a gated side channel spillway, intake tower and outlet works.
ADVERTISEMENT
It has a storage capacity of 21,500 million litres at spillway sill level and 23,780 million litres at the top of gate level with a catchment area of 30 square kilometre.According to Samios, the dam was categorised as a High Hazard (Consequence Category) dam for both the Sunny Day and Flood dam break condition.
ADVERTISEMENT
"However, this is not because it is weak but because of the existence of the more than 300 houses which could be affected should the dam breaks," he said.He stated that NSW Public Works has carried out major surveillance inspections on the dam in 2002, 2005 and 2010 and has found the dam to be generally in good condition.Concerns were raised by villagers in nearby Kg Notoruss, Penampang who feared that vibrations from explosives and heavy machinery at a new quarrying site will cause the Babagon Dam to crack and flood the area.They demanded that a buffer zone be set up around the dam and at the same time, questioned how an agriculture-zone land can be used for other purpose.Last year, Land and Survey Department Director Datuk Osman Jamal explained that the State authority had given approval on Jan 18, 2010 for a quarry project by a private company to be carried out at the said land.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
