MIRI – The state government must take punitive action against the logging operators responsible for the logjams in the rivers of central Sarawak, a native activist said today, after state authorities launched an operation to clear a months-long blockage in Sg Baleh.
Yesterday, the state forest department said it will likely take one year to clear up the timber debris that has choked up Sg Baleh since last August. Another buildup of timber debris was reported last October in Sg Balui, also in Sarawak’s central region.
Native activist Harry Wing said state authorities to date have not disclosed the identities of those responsible for the logjams.
“Politicians and the forest department must reveal to the public the identity of those logging operators who had triggered the logjams that caused so much damage to the environment and rivers,” Harry said.
“These irresponsible loggers must be forced to clean up the mess.”
Harry said logjams have become a common issue in his home district of Belaga, where he said rampant logging had also caused land erosion.
The logjam in Sg Baleh first came to light last August, and has jammed up riverine transportation for thousands of remote villagers living upstream of the Baleh dam project.
The state government had earlier clarified that the situation was caused by timber extraction work upstream at Sg Mengiong to make way for the dam.
Once completed in 2026, the dam will be the state’s largest hydro power installation under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy. – The Vibes, March 17, 2022
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