PEKAN: Some RM20 million is needed to rehabilitate 600ha in Tasik Chini near here which has been affected by mining activities.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the state government has set aside RM1 million from the Pahang Mine Rehabilitation Fund to be utilised to restore the abandoned mining sites.
"The rehabilitation works at the mining site will start in August. We estimate about RM20 million to reinstate the lake area," he said in a statement today.
Wan Rosdy said besides channeling allocations from the Forest Development Fund, the Pahang government welcomes any individuals or non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who want to be part of the restoration works at the country's second-largest freshwater lake.
"The rehabilitation efforts will be done collectively between departments, education institutions along with research in various aspects such as flora and fauna, hydrology and other related fields. This is to ensure the aim to conduct forest and biosphere reserve site rehabilitation is achieved.
"The main challenges include rehabilitating the badly affected mining soil composition at the site. The recovery plan for Tasik Chini, which covers all aspects including biodiversity and hydrology, will be continuously monitored to ensure it becomes a success," he said.
Wan Rosdy had earlier visited the lake to check the rehabilitation works.
He said the State Forestry department will request for funds from other resources including Yayasan Hijau Malaysia and the National Conservation Trust Fund for Natural Resources (NCTF) from the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry.
Meanwhile, he said the Orang Asli living near the lake will be given the opportunity to be part of the rehabilitation efforts especially in producing forest tree seedlings or bamboo saplings suitable to be planted near the lake, and mining areas.
"The Forestry department will set aside funds to build nurseries to be used by the Orang Asli community to produce stocks (plants) for this rehabilitation effort. NGOs and the public are encouraged to join the efforts to restore the greenery around the mining site at the lake."
He said works to rehabilitate the lake had already begun two years ago, and not after the issue of the lake went viral recently.
Meanwhile, Wan Rosdy said the state government was mulling the idea to set up a biodiversity corporation to safeguard the environmentally sensitive areas in Pahang including Tasik Chini and Tasik Bera.
"It will be easier for the state government to monitor and coordinate the assistance. For example, Sungai Ichat in Cameron Highlands is an example of such an effort. It was where we faced various challenges, but finally succeeded," he said, referring to Sungai Ichat, once embroiled in pollution issues, now has full Class 1 (minimum treatment) water quality.
Tasik Chini came under the spotlight recently after news emerged that the Pahang government had given the green light for mining operations in the vicinity of Tasik Chini to a royalty-linked company.
However, on June 12, the State Land and Mines director's office cleared the confusion saying no new mining licences were awarded since March 2019, and there would be zero-mining works near the lake next year once the licence of the two existing operators expires this year.
On June 14, the Regent of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah, instructed for the Chini forest reserve to be expanded to provide better protection to plants and animals near the lake, and ordered mining works to stop.