Hong Kong ombudsman raises concerns over repeated landslides on man-made slopes
Since 2008, most cases of repeated landslides are either not included in monitoring programme or deemed relatively low priority, ombudsman says
The Office of the Ombudsman has raised concerns about frequent landslides occurring at the Hong Kong government’s man-made slopes, highlighting that one location had four such incidents at different sections over five years.
In a direct investigation report released on Thursday, the office reviewed nine serious landslides that have occurred since 2008.
It found that most slopes with repeated landslides were either not included in a specific monitoring programme or deemed relatively low priority.
In the case of a slope encompassing 397 square metres (4,270 sq ft) on Wing Lung Road in Hang Hau, landslides at different sections occurred in 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2021 despite it being on the government’s monitoring list, according to the report.
Some slopes recorded “repeated landslides” within three years since the first incident, including those located on Pak Tam Road in Sai Kung, South Lantau Road on Lantau Island, Lower Shing Mun Reservoir and Tai Lam Chung Catchwater.
“Even if the government department with maintenance responsibility has carried out emergency works after the first incident, this does not necessarily entail full mitigation of the potential landslide risks,” the office said in the report’s summary.