The Kedah Forestry Department has given assurance that logging activities in a 150ha area in Bukit Perak, Pendang will not pollute the eight water retention ponds which are the sources of water for seven villages in the Pendang and Padang Terap districts.
Its director Ku Azmi Ku Aman said logging would be contained in the area stipulated so that a quarry company, Syarikat Kuari Bukit Perak, could collect the rocks from the area.
He said monitoring by the department found that logging at the 150ha site which was given a permit by the state government, did not disturb the river flow to three water retention ponds.
“According to the department’s records, only three ponds were given water retention permits which expired in 1988 while the other five ponds were probably built by the residents without the department’s knowledge,” he told reporters, here, today.
“The river does not flow through the logging area and if the water is polluted, it could be caused by soil erosion due to heavy rain.”
The three water retention permits belong to the quarry company, Sik district Medical and Health Officer and the Padang Durian federal village security and development committee chairman.
Ku Azmi said officers were sent to check out the water retention ponds to find out the cause of pollution.
He advised residents to discuss with the state Forestry Department before building such ponds to avoid problems that could affect the environment.
Last Sunday, about 200 residents from the villages concerned in Padang Terap and Pendang held a peaceful demonstration, urging the government to stop the logging activities in Bukit Perak which they blamed for the water pollution.
– Bernama
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