Assoc Prof Dr Aphinit Chotisangkat from the Department of Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, at Kasetsart University and his team inspected the site yesterday to study the geographic safety of the area.
The team installed devices to monitor the “safety aspects of the soil”, such as soil pressure, soil strength and the percentage volume of groundwater at depths of three metres and six metres, explained a report by the Phuket office of the Public relations Department (PR Phuket).
The system installed will alert relevant officers of any measurements exceeding safety limits, teh report assured.
Exactly who will be informed directly by the system was not explained.
The system aims “to use as information for the relevant part in managing the risks of using the area in order to not cause the greatest harm to the people”, the report said.
Kathu District Chief Siwat Rawarangkul was present at the site yesterday to oversee the installation of the devices and inspect other measures taken to improve safety for people crossing the hill.
Sandbags have been placed to guide any rain runoff away from the exposed soil on the side of the road where the landslide occurred Wednesday last week (Oct 19).
Barriers have also been installed to separate traffic flow as motorbike riders make their way up and down the hill past the landslide site.
The road past the landslide site remains open to motorbikes and pedestrians only. Cars and larger vehicles are still banned from crossing the hill.