Water catchment on verge of drying up due to illegal clearing and farming

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ILLEGAL land clearing and farming activities next to the Pondok Tanjung Forest Reserve in Bagan Serai are drying up the water catchment area near Tasik Bukit Merah.

Checks conducted by Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) field officers in and around the lake showed that such activities were rampant.

“Loggers are cutting down trees there but nothing can be done about it as the area has been designated as a production forest.

A water catchment that will effect the flowing of waters to Bukit Merah reserve lake nearby.

“But then the wetland bordering it, which is known as the Tasik Bukit Merah Reserve Land, is being illegally encroached into and the authorities are not doing anything about it,” SAM field officer Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahman told MetroPerak.

During a recent visit to the site, oil palm saplings were seen planted along a stretch bordering the wetland and forest reserve.

At another site, farmers had dug out a drain to channel away excess water from their cultivation site.

Other than growing oil palm, the farmers had also planted banana trees while some have even fenced up their cultivation site, giving the impression that the land belonged to them.

“This area is supposed to be a wetland filled with peat swamp but once the drains are built, we will not have a wetland anymore,” said Meor Razak.

He said he had written several times to the authorities, including Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and his predecessors to alert them about the situation.

“I did get a response from one of their aides but he merely notified me that my letter had been referred to a state executive councillor, whose portfolio has nothing to do with this matter. The exco member is in charge of tourism but what has this got to do with tourism?” Meor Razak questioned.

Barriers : Entrance to an Illegal farming area near the Pondok Tanjung forest reserve land.

He said it was ironic that the Kerian district had designated the affected area as a wetland under its local plan.

“On paper, it looks very impressive but in actual fact, the area has been scalped of its trees and the existence of the peat swamp is under threat,” he added.

Based on his investigation, Meor Razak said the reserve land was under the purview of the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID).

“But the DID has no power to nab the illegal farmers or destroy their crops, unlike the authority wielded by the Land and Mines Department.

“Without intervention from higher authorities, nothing can be done about the situation,” he lamented.