[UPDATED] Floods due to accumulated rain in Gunung Inas channel, don’t blame durian farms: Sanusi

BALING – The accumulated rainwater in the Gunung Inas channel is the main cause of the water column phenomenon and mud floods in Kupang here, said Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.

Sanusi said the incident was similar to the phenomenon that occurred in Gunung Jerai that wreaked havoc in the Yan district last August.

However, he declined to confirm whether the floods were caused by durian plantations in Gunung Inas.

“It has not been confirmed (either because of the durian farms). Don’t blame them.

“We need to confirm with scientific evidence, otherwise it is not fair,” he said at a press conference at the disaster operations centre here today.

Earlier, the Consumers’ Association of Penang said in a statement that logging and land-clearing to plant Musang King durian trees in Gunung Inas are contributing factors to the severe floods and mudflows in Baling.

The consumer advocate group said it had several times urged the Kedah government, Forestry Department and Baling district office to resolve the issue as tens of thousands of villagers are paying the price in the latest disaster.

Sanusi said he had issued a directive in 2020 for durian plantation operators to replant trees in the cleared areas of Gunung Inas.

“I found that they planted trees, but the trees may not be able to absorb a lot of rainwater.”

He said so far 627 victims in 12 villages have been affected in the Baling floods.

He added that the authorities received reports of the disappearance of three victims and their bodies have been recovered about 100m from the site they were last seen.

“So far, the location has not been declared a disaster area based on the assessments.” 

Earlier today, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan denied logging activities are taking place in the Gunung Inas forest reserve.

He said the Peninsular Malaysia Forestry Department’s investigation found that the trees in the flood debris were not timber, as they were swept away with their roots intact.

“We want to correct misconceptions that active logging was the cause of the floods along Sg Kupang in Baling,” he told Bernama. – The Vibes, July 5, 2022