BALING: Kedah Forestry Department has brushed off claims that there is logging activity in Bukit Lata Putih, Tanjung Pari leading to a debris flood incident in Kampung Teluk Rambung on Sept 30.
Its director Muhamad Abdullah said the site is privately-owned and not part of the Ulu Muda Forest Reserves as claimed on social media platforms recently.
He clarified that checks on satellite images confirmed that there is no logging in the forest reserve area, which is nowhere near the village.
"Based on satellite checks by our officers in south Kedah office, the site is private land and is located far from our forest reserve.
"There is no forest reserve there that has been opened for plantations, total logging, no such things. There are durian orchards and rubber plantations at the site, it's a private land, (based on) the (satellite) image our area is still green," he said when contacted.
He stressed that land utilisation at the site near the village is not under the department's jurisdiction.
Muhamad was responding to claims on social media platforms that the debris floods in Kampung Teluk Rambung were caused by logging activity in Ulu Muda Forest Reserve.
It was reported yesterday that at least 10 landslide locations have been identified on Bukit Lada Putih following the debris floods that devastated Kampung Teluk Rambung.
The landslides, which occurred on the slope of Bukit Lada Putih, are situated approximately a kilometre from the foothills.
Villagers claimed that the area was logged about 15 years ago.
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