A LOGJAM has occurred again on Sg Baleh near Kapit, Sarawak, and it is feared that it could bring deadlier consequences than the one that occurred in 2010, said Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister James Jemut Masing.

In a post on his Facebook page today, Masing said such consequences were possible as the smooth flow of the river was blocked by the construction of the Baleh Dam.

“It is common knowledge among HEP (hydroelectric project) operators that logging activities at the watershed of (a) HEP will cause siltation, and will thus reduce the lifespan of the dam,” he said.

Seeming furious over the matter, Masing who is also Baleh assemblyman, blamed it on logging at the upper reaches of Sg Baleh

“In order to stop this logjam from recurring, please do not renew their timber licences to operate at the upper reaches of Batang Baleh (Sg Baleh),” he said.

The serious logjam in the head waters of Sg Baleh in 2010 had stretched all the way from Kapit to Sibu. Masing wrote that fish and other wildlife, including crocodiles, were found dead and floating in the river.

He said the Iban people residing along Sg Baleh were petrified, and did a special offering to pacify the gods in Ulu Baleh, whom they thought were angry at the environmental impact of the logging.

“It seemed the miring ceremony of 2010 did not pacify the right gods.

“The ‘gods’ who caused the logjam are human beings, they are the timber concessionaires.

“They operate in the head waters of Batang Baleh with devastating environmental impact,” said Masing. – Bernama, August 22, 2021.