By DayakDaily Team
SERIAN, Sept 2: Indiscriminate bulldozing and prior site clearing by a plantation company upstream of Sungai Krangan, Balai Ringin has caused floating debris, drifting deadwood and a logjam in that river after a heavy downpour.
Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) and Balai Ringin assemblyman Dato Snowdan Lawan said this situation poses a grave concern because it threatens the Water Intake Point (WIP) that supplies water to the water treatment plant in Balai Ringin.
Based on reports received from Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) officers who inspected the site on Aug 31, Snowdan said some debris is believed to be from plantations which has encroached into the 8-kilometre radius of the water catchment area from the Balai Ringin WIP.
This, he added, follows information from the surrounding villagers especially from Kampung Melayu Balai Ringin who reported the matter to the Balai Ringin sub-district officer, headed by Sarawak Administrative Officer (SAO) Mohamad Adam Abdullah.
“The river serves as an important means for villagers who are fishermen as their source of income and transporting their catch to Balai Ringin town daily. Now they can’t do both. This logjam certainly affects their daily livelihood.
“If this logjam continues to block the river flow, it may cause flooding to nearby low-lying settlement and crops of the villagers,” Snowdan said in a statement today.
He also mentioned that the reports by NREB have indicated that some cultivated areas have been submerged by flood due to irregular river flow.
“Therefore, I urged the authority concerned to spring into action to deal with the culprits that caused this logjam without due consideration to the environment and the nearby community who has to bear with this man-made disaster and to prevent reoccurrence without having to blame it on the weather. Identify the root cause instead,” he emphasised. — DayakDaily
