No recommendation to renew quarry permit – DO

PENAMPANG: No recommendation has been given to renew the permit of a quarry near here, said district officer Luvita Koisun.

She said that although the permit for quarries was issued by the Lands and Surveys Department, the district off ice would still be asked for its recommendation before its issuance.

“So far, we have not issued any recommendation and as far as I know the permit has not been issued,” she said when asked by reporters at the 2015 World Water Day held at the Penampang Cultural Centre near here yesterday, to comment on a claim made by a villager from Kampung Notoruss, Verus Augustine, concerning the quarry.

Luvita said that the permit for the quarry to operate expired in December, last year.

Earlier, Verus approached reporters to highlight issues related to the quarry and on hill cutting at the Togudon Hill.

He said that the quarry should not be allowed to continue operating as it is located too close to the Babagon Dam and its activities would undermine the dam as well as pollute the Moyog River.

“Their activities will also release pollutants into the dam as well as f low into the Moyog River which is being used by the water treatment plant in Inobong to feed the needs of the people in Penampang, Putatan, Kota Kinabalu and others,” he said.

Verus also said that there was also a plan to construct a secondary school within close vicinity of the area concerned and the operation of the quarry would surely jeopardise the wellbeing of the students.

He said that the society had already sent letters of objection for the quarry to continue operating to the relevant government departments and agencies.

“We also sent it to the Chief Minister (Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman) but so far we have not received any reply from him,” he said.

Verus also said that the people in Penampang were against the hill cutting activities now being carried out at Togudon.

He alleged that the area involved in the hill cutting activities was large and it impacted on the lives of the people living nearby.

“The hill cutting activities have resulted in mudslides and pollution of the Moyog River,” he said.

He also claimed that the operator had continued with the activities despite having been issued with a stop work order from the Public Works Department.

“Until now, tractors can still be seen operating.”

Commenting on the hill cutting activities, Luvita concurred t hat stop work order had been issued by the Public Works Department and a dialogue had been held between the land owner, the villagers and the relevant agencies.

However, the district officer said that she was not aware of the mudslides as claimed by Verus since no new input was received from the villagers after the dialogue.