MNS: Logging activities increase risk of flood

Vegetation on top of hills is important in helping water seep into the ground. D. Kanda Kumar

KULIM: Logging activities along Sungai Matang will cause the riverbed to become shallow and increase the risk of floods, said the Malaysian Nature Society.

Its Penang branch adviser D. Kanda Kumar said if the trees on the hills were cleared, rain water would bring soil into the riverbed and make it shallower.

“When the river banks burst we face a very high risk of flooding. Vegetation on top of hills is important in helping water seep into the ground,” he said.

Sand mining, said Kanda, could affect the flow of the river downstream and the change in the current flow could cause soil erosion.

“Proper geological studies are required to ensure that the volume of water in the river is not affected,” he said.

Parents from neighbouring villages have voiced concern about the safety of their children due to the frequency of lorries plying the road.

“Every day, we see about 20 lorries carrying logs and 30 lorries loaded with sand passing by.

“We have students who travel to school on their parents’ motorcycles. Our narrow roads are not meant to sustain the heavy load of the lorries,” said a father, who only wished to be know as Azam, 35.