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Selangor should take
immediate step to gazette all water catchment areas in the state and
prohibits incinerators and landfills in such areas
Press Statement
by Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew
(Kuala Lumpur,
Friday):
The 18th National Forestry Council
meeting in Putrajaya yesterday made a right move in calling all states to
gazette all water catchment areas in the respective state to protect water
sources.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr
Khir Toyo should take immediate steps to gazette the valuable Broga/
Semenyih/Beranang areas and other similar areas in the state as water
catchment areas and prohibits any construction of environment-sensitive
structures, such as incinerators and landfills.
DAP has made numerous calls to the
Selangor and Federal governments to drop the proposed RM1.5 billion
incinerator in Broga in the past two years as an effort to protect the
valuable Broga/ Semenyih/ Beranang water catchment areas. We have also
warned the Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting on
the exorbitant cost of building and maintaining the world’s largest
incinerator.
It’s correct for the DPM Datuk Seri
Najib Tun Razak to point out that “the function of forest in the
preservation and protection of water sources is critical. As such, measures
to protect the country’s forests contribute towards the well-being of the
people.”
The council had also set a maximum of
85 cu m per hectare for the extraction of forest produce as a new condition
for issuance of logging licenses. This move is commendable but the real test
remains at implementation and enforcement, which were near impossible in the
past due to rampant illegal logging and “stealing of logs” activities
because of corruption.
(5/11/2004)
* Ronnie Liu
Tian Khiew, DAP International Secretary and NGO bureau chief
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