Monsoon ready: Ng says among the actions taken by the council to ensure longer lifespan of the raintrees were to create the 630m pedestrian pathway known as the Raintree Walk.
Tree health inspections in Taiping ramp up for wet season
IPOH: If the famed raintrees in Taiping could sing, their song would likely be Rain, Rain, Go Away.
These grand old trees at the Taiping Lake Gardens could face stability problems if there is prolonged rain in what is already known as the wettest town in the peninsula.
As such, the Taiping Municipal Council has been putting in efforts since 2017 to maintain the heritage trees.
The trees, which are a pride of Taiping, are being monitored closely especially with the monsoon season now.
With Taiping receiving the highest rainfall in the peninsula, state local government committee chairman Sandrea Ng said this could impact the stability of trees, and affect root strength during continuous rainfall.
But Ng said conservation and maintenance of the trees had been given priority.
“With funding from the state government, the council has been able to appoint contractors to carry out the task, as well as for them to identify any issues affecting the trees.
“Tree inspections are carried out concerning issues of the overall ‘health’ of the trees, fertility and environmental conditions that could affect the risk levels.
“The job scope also includes removing parasitic plants from selected trees, and conducting soil rehabilitation,” she said when contacted.
In addition, Ng said the tree risk assessment works require inspection of tree roots, trunks, branches, and leaves using the Visual Tree Assessment (VTA) method.
To determine the rate of internal decay of the trees, she said specialised equipment such as a Resistograph or a Picus Sonic Tomograph is used.
Ng noted that these trees absorb more water in the canopy and become heavier, which could cause branches and trunks to break or fall.
“Therefore, short-term and continuous actions such as health inspections by certified arborists, comprehensive evaluations, and pruning methods are necessary to improve the structure and balance of these trees,” she said.
She said the results from the VTA and Resistograph inspections will help identify defects, potential and risk levels of trees.
“After inspections, suitable treatments and mitigation measures will be proposed to the council for further maintenance of the trees involved,” she added.
Ng, however, said that it would be unrealistic to expect that the trees could be maintained to the point where there is no chance of failure as “trees are living organisms, and it is impossible for any tree to be entirely free from potential issues.”
She said among the actions taken by the council to ensure longer lifespan of the raintrees were to create the 630m pedestrian pathway known as the Raintree Walk.
The road closure was done to reduce the weight load of vehicles which could impact the root system.
She said the council had also implemented the closing of about 462m of part of Jalan Pekeliling (in front of Taiping Zoo and Night Safari) right up to the roundabout, known as 462 Eco Neighbor-Hud.
“In addition, any fallen trees that can be saved are not entirely cut down. Action is taken based on the recommendations and suggestions of the arborists.
“Some fallen trees have been preserved because they are still alive and can be rehabilitated by adding topsoil in parts of the root area. They are thriving to this day,” she said.
Since 2016, Ng said five raintrees that had fallen have been rehabilitated after advice and monitoring from the arborists.
She said the council is planning to conduct a study to identify raintrees along the Raintree Walk and 462 Eco Neighbor-Hud that required treatment, and as well as propping up to reduce the risk of future tree falls.
She said the council is also planning to develop a master landscape plan for the lake gardens to identify all the elements and scope involved as a reference, and guide for future development while maintaining the existing heritage features.
