KUALA LUMPUR – Many of the 25 campsites in Hulu Selangor’s high-risk areas are in the process of applying for permits, said district council president Mohd Hasry Nor Mohd.
He added that the Hulu Selangor Municipal Council has issued 25 temporary closure notices to campsites in disaster-prone areas, such as at the riverside and hillslopes.
In a press conference at the search-and-rescue operation centre in Batang Kali, Hasry admitted that some of the campsites are unlicensed but are in the application process.
“These homestays have been instructed to obtain permits in accordance with the licensing procedures,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
This comes after Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming ordered all 155 local councils nationwide to immediately vacate all campsites by the rivers, waterfalls and hillsides for seven days.
He added that the directive to empty the campsites is in line with the downpour predicted to take place for five days starting tomorrow.
He also revealed that the three campsites affected by the deadly landslide in Batang Kali have been operating illegally for at least two years as the operators only have approvals in 2019 from the Hulu Selangor Municipal Council for plans to have organic farms.
The massive landslide that hit the Father’s Organic Farm campsite left 23 people dead and 10 missing.
A total of 94 victims were affected, seven of which are in hospitals while 61 survived. – The Vibes, December 17, 2022
