SIBU: Logging activities in the upper reaches of Rajang River are not to blame for the recent logjam despite what is widely believed, State Forestry Department director Datu Len Talif Salleh said at a press conference Tuesday night.
He said while people might perceive that logging was the main cause, studies showed that it contributed minimally to the massive debris that clogged the Rajang river for several days.
Instead, Len pointed to changing rain patterns as the main culprit.
He explained that rain patterns had changed for the past two or three years.
“Based on the hydrographs report on Nanga Ga’at, the water level on Oct 3 at 4.48pm was 8 metres.
“On Oct 7 at 7am, the water level was 5 metres. At 9pm on the same day, it rose to 11 metres.
“Through this study, we have concluded that the debris was caused by the concentration of rains within a short period,” he said, adding that most of the debris was from Sg Melatai.
According to Len, logging activities around Sg Melatai had stopped since 2006 or 2007.
As such, no one could be held responsible for what had happened.
“All of us were taken off guard because of lack of communication. We will try to work with other agencies to study this and other areas as well,” he said.
Rajang River, Sibu, Sarawak
No comments:
Post a Comment