Datu Hamden Mohammad
BINTULU (Aug 27): The recent occurrence of massive floating wood debris in the Baleh and Rajang rivers was caused by heavy rain washing down accumulated wood debris at Baleh HEP dam site.
Sarawak Forest Department director Datu Hamden Mohammad in a statement said it then came out through a diversion channel to enter the Rajang River.
He said the cause of the logjam was determined based on ground verification and aerial surveillance conducted by Forest Department Sarawak on Aug 22, together with Natural Resources and Environment Board Sarawak, Sarawak Rivers Board and Sarawak Energy Berhad.
“An extreme heavy downpour more than 100 mm on Aug21, triggered the movement of the debris and the massive surface run-off.
“However, the situation has subsided after the rains stopped in the upper Baleh area,” he said.
According to him, the government has approved salvage logging activities since 2015 in the area that will be submerged by the Baleh HEP dam.
However, the approved salvage logging activities are subject to full compliance of harvesting rules and regulations, he said.
“All the affected timber licensees and contractors are jointly responsible for this incident, especially to clear and remove the debris,” he said.
He added Forest Department Sarawak will tighten monitoring measures to ensure there is no recurrence of this unfortunate incident in the future.
Hamden said the government has decided to set up a special task force committee under the Ministry of Urban Development and Natural Resources consisting of various government departments and agencies including other stakeholders.
He said the committee will conduct a thorough investigation on the incident and to find a solution to mitigate the issues.
He admitted that the incident has attracted a lot of attention from the public and the state government is equally concerned about the impact not only on the environment but also livelihood of the people along the river.