MIRI – The Sarawak government today announced that it has commenced work to clear up a logjam that has been backed up in Sg Baleh in central Sarawak since August last year.
The logjam has been blamed for severely hampering transportation for thousands living in remote villages along the river, and sparked outrage among Sarawakians for what they call uncontrolled logging.
The state government later clarified that the situation was caused by timber extraction work upstream at Sg Mengiong to make way for the Baleh dam.
Sarawak Forest Department director Datuk Hamden Mohammad said Harwood Timber Sdn Bhd, the contractor appointed to carry out the operation, has already sent its workers and machinery to the site to start clearing up the debris.
“The clearing of the timber logjam starts today. The contractor has been given one year to clear all the logs in the river,” Hamden said at a news conference in Kuching.
The state government is currently building the Baleh dam upstream of the logjam area.
Once completed in 2026, the project will be the state’s largest hydro power installation under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy. - The Vibes, March 16 2022
