Floods could hit Kalimantan

Floods could hit Kalimantan

SAMARINDA, East Kalimantan: Several cities in the province
could be vulnerable to severe flooding during the coming rainy
season because of the poor condition of water catchments,
particularly those located along the Mahakam river, an official
said yesterday.

"Illegal logging and forest fires have severely damaged water
catchment areas in the Mahakam river basin," head of the
provincial Environmental Impact Management Agency, Awang Farouk,
said.

Fires in the early part of this year destroyed at least
543,000 hectares of forest, he said.

"What is more tragic however is that most of the areas burned
were water catchment areas.

"We predict that some cities in the province, including
Samarinda, will be heavily flooded when the rains come later this
year," he added.

Water quality in the Mahakam river is also deteriorating, he
said.

"There are 25 companies engaged in coal mining, and plywood
and glue production along the course of the Mahakam. These
companies have caused pollution levels in the river to rise
considerably," he said as quoted by Antara. (mds)