Causes of Rajang River logjam identified

KUCHING (Bernama): A preliminary report on the extent of environmental damage caused by a massive logjam along the Rajang River in Sibu will be ready by next week.

Sarawak Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) controller Peter Sawal said its officers were in the midst of compiling relevant data on the ground, a mammoth task due to the length and width of the Rajang, the country's longest river.

He expected the preliminary report to be completed in "one or two days" and the report would contain, among others, the real cause of the logjam, the enviromental impact and recommendations to prevent it from happening again.

"Apart from investigating into the extent of enviromental damage to the river, we will also assess the enviromental damage on land through aerial surveillance and ground survey," he told Bernama.

The logjam occurred on Friday and caused disruption of service for cargo vessels and express passenger boats, which are a vital mode of transportation for people living in Kapit.

The situation improved today as the logs and wood debris have drifted to sea, allowing the express boat service and cargo vessels to resume their operations.

State Minister of Environment and Public Health Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh on Friday was quoted as saying that an investigation would be conducted to determine the exact cause of the long stretches of awashed logs and debris floating on the river.

Wong said action would be taken if there were strong evidence to show that the main cause was human factor.