Wednesday November 11, 2009

Work to relocate plants from dam sites ongoing

KUCHING: Sarawak Forest Department’s work to relocate plants which will be affected by the Bakun and Murum hydroelectric dam projects is ongoing.

Its director Datuk Len Talif Salleh said the relocation of protected species started three months ago.

“We are relocating these plants, especially species that can only be found in Bakun and are at risk of being flooded,” he told reporters after signing a memorandum of understanding between the department and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) here.

Protecting what’s left: Various species of plants are being relocated from Bakun that are bound to be affected by the Bakun and Murum hydroelectric dam projects.

He said works to relocate the species possibly threatened by the project would continue and would be made a permanent procedure for any dam project.

He said that wildlife would have ample time to move out of the dam area as the water level would rise slowly.

On the memorandum with UPM, Len said it was for tourism product development as well as for forestry research. — Bernama