.png)
GEORGE TOWN – Logging and land-clearing to plant Musang King durian trees at Gunung Inas are contributing factors to the severe floods and mudflows in Baling, Kedah, said the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP).
The consumer advocate group said it had several times urged the Kedah government, Forestry Department and Baling district office to resolve the issue as tens of thousands of residents in 11 villages are paying the price in the latest disaster.
CAP found that villagers have been using water that is contaminated with mud from Gunung Inas and have lost their source of income as their agricultural land is affected by flood debris.
“The state has to pay reparations and help rebuild homes that have been swept away or damaged. CAP also urges the state to rehabilitate agricultural land in the villages,” it said in a statement today.
It warned of recurring floods if the state government fails to resolve the environmental woes there.
Meanwhile, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Meenaskhi Raman slammed the country’s low level of preparedness to deal with the severe effects of climate change.
“Many countries are also ill-prepared. Look at the recent floods in Sydney (Australia). We need to coax governments to do more to address climate change effects.”
Meenaskhi told journalists here that the authorities need to come up with a new development master plan where land clearing is reduced or controlled. – The Vibes, July 5, 2022
MORE TO FOLLOW
