THE Natural Resources and Environment Ministry is urged to take urgent steps to control the worsening siltation problem in Cameron Highlands.
For years, large amount of silt caused mainly by expanding agricultural activities and rapid development has been flowing into the highlands’ rivers.
Regional Environmental Awareness of Cameron Highlands president R. Ramakrishnan said the siltation problem here had remained unchecked for years.
“From Kampung Raja to Habu, almost all rivers have been polluted by silt. The worse hit is the Ringlet Lake (near Habu).
“It is literally the largest ‘silt trap’ in the country. Almost 70 per cent of the lake volume is made up of silt,” he told Streets yesterday.
Ramakrishnan said despite continuous desiltation efforts at Ringlet Lake over the years, the volume of silt has not decreased because the flow of earth from the upstream areas has been increasing over the last two decades.
He said the once pristine lake would be lost unless the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry takes immediate steps to halt the large inflow of silt into the riverine system.
“Since the minister in charge of environment (Datuk Seri G. Palanivel) is himself the MP for Cameron Highlands, strict enforcement and remedial steps should not be too difficult to be initiated.”
He said the mud flood tragedy in Bertam Valley on Oct 23 last year which took the lives of at least three foreign workers and caused untold damage should serve as a reminder that both human greed and negligence would ultimately spell disaster for the area.
He pointed out that with almost 70 per cent of the lake covered with silt, the reservoir’s water holding capacity had been reduced to about 30 per cent.
The Ringlet Lake’s holding volume is 6.2 million cubic metres.
However, the amount of silt has covered about four million cubic metres of the area with the rest — about 2.2 million cubic metres — made up of water.
According to Ramakrishnan, at least 300,000 cubic metres of silt flow into the lake annually.
“The quantity of silt flowing into the lake would increase when there’s a downpour or during the rainy season. While efforts to desilt the lake must continue, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has to act fast to slow down, if not halt, the silt flow into the highlands’ rivers and finally into the Ringlet Lake,” he said.