ALOR STAR: The state Forestry Department will carry out a study on the impact of logging activities in the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve area on the surrounding environment.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah said the department has been directed carry out the study following claims that it has polluted water sources in the area.
“We have directed the state Forestry Department to carry out the study and the result will be submitted to me.
“We will study the findings before deciding on the next course of action,” Bashah said.
He said the study would also include if the logging activities would pollute raw water or cause floods.
He was responding to a request made by National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) chairman Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, who urged the Kedah government to stop all logging activities in Ulu Muda Forest Reserve Area.
Shahidan claimed that in the long run, the uncontrolled logging in the forest reserve area could result in flash floods and pollution to the raw water in the catchment area.
Bashah was speaking to reporters after presenting allocation to Tamil schools, temples and non-governmental organisations at Seri Mentaloon here Wednesday.
Also present were the political secretary to the Finance Minister Datuk Ghazali Ibrahim and Kedah MIC chairman Senator Datuk Jaspal Singh.
He said the RM900,000 allocation is from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for the Indian community in Kedah.
On a different matter, Bashah said the state Barisan Nasional is confident that the two seats allocated to MIC would return to the party in the 14th General Election (GE14)
Bashah also reminded Indian voters in the two constituencies not to be misled once again by the opposition.
“I could see the improvement in the support to the MIC in Bukit Selambau and Lunas state constituencies because the opposition reps in the two seats failed to meet the needs of the people there.
"In fact when natural disaster struck in the constituencies, it was BN who responded first to help the victims,” he said.