by M Jegathesan, AFP | October 27, 2011
Free Malaysia Today
BAKUN DAM: The initial turbine is spinning, physical phenomenon is pulsing out, as well as the H2O turn is climbing in the Borneo jungle behind Malaysia's outrageous US$ 2.2 billion Bakun hydroelectric dam.
But questions go upon to whirl around the viability of the plan described by critics as the graft-plagued tellurian as well as ecological mess as well as as antithesis mounts opposite the dozen other programmed dams in Sarawak.
The initial turbine from French giant Alstom began producing physical phenomenon in Aug as well as the dam's reservoir has swelled to the distance of Singapore given impoundment began the year ago.
After years of warnings about the stroke upon Sarawak's primitive jungles as well as the forced removal of thousands of internal tribespeople, the dam's head Zulkifle Osman sees light during the end of the tunnel.
During the debate of the facility, the managing director of Sarawak Hidro, who has overseen building the whole given 2000, shielded the dam notwithstanding an physical phenomenon over-abundance in the state as well as the miss of the market for its power.
"It is the chicken-and-egg game," Zulkifle told AFP.
"I am assured there will be the lot of demand for physical phenomenon in Sarawak."
But dam opponents contend the incident confirms warnings about Bakun as an ill-planned as well as nonessential boondoggle.
The trickery is located upon the Balui River, the mighty waterway which drains the immeasurable rainforested area of northern Borneo home to orangutan, speckled leopards, singular plants, as well as the renowned biodiversity.
White elephant
The plan was initial approved in 1986 under then-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the poor physical phenomenon source for more-developed! peninsu lar Malaysia even yet the nation is the net oil as well as healthy gas exporter.
But in the 2005 report, anti-graft watchdog Transparency International termed the dam the single of the world's "Monuments of Corruption," citing years of delays, ownership changes, as well as altogether costs which some-more than doubled.
"No users have done any authorised written joining for the use of the energy," pronounced Elli Luhat, the former Sarawak forestry official, right divided an environmental activist.
"I have the genuine fright which Bakun dam will the single day become the white elephant."
Tribal residents contend warnings about the dam's ecological as well as tellurian stroke have been coming true.
Residents vital in the shadow of the dam, the single of the world's highest during 205 metres (673 ft), contend the river's biodiversity has degenerated, fish catches have plunged, as well as once-clean waters smell tainted as well as have been vulnerable to drink.
Silting has occurred, stopping navigation in the river, locals say.
Climbing into his boat in Uma Nyaving encampment about 10 kilometres (six miles) from Bakun, Kayan tribesman Richard Let complained of the thinning fish numbers.
"Now there is not enough for my family as well as the fish have been small. The river is choking under sediment as well as is creation it formidable to fish with our boats," pronounced Let, 31.
Rampant poverty
Downstream from the dam, nearly 12,000 inland Kayan, Kenyah, Ukit as well as Penan people live in normal wooden longhouses in the resettlement area in the town of Sungai Asap. Their ancestal homes have been right divided underwater.
They enjoy amenities unknown when they dwelt in the timberland piped water, electricity, schools, Internet access as well as health services.
But Bulan Merang, 43, who moved to Sungai Asap 12 years ago, struggles to feed her 8 children among tall food prices as well as new amicable strains.
"Children n! o longer apply oneself their elders. Even my 21-year-old son says we am the invalid woman whenever he gets drunk," she said.
The tribes, who previously grew rice as well as bananas as well as hunted furious boar, contend their new land is infertile. Age-old sport drift have been submerged as well as they must purchase staple foods.
"We were not contingent upon income (before). Here all is money," Bulan added.
Ironically, Sungai Asap's physical phenomenon comes not from Bakun though from the outrageous diesel-powered generator of electric energy the dam's physical phenomenon is sent divided upon energy lines criss-crossing the immature terrain, headed to the state grid already during capacity.
Sarawak is abounding in healthy resources though poverty is rampant. Its leaders have been keen to variegate from mining, cultivation as well as forestry as well as into high-tech industries as well as contend ample energy sources have been indispensable to lure foreign investment.
"I am assured the energy from Bakun will be taken up. MITI (the Ministry of International Trade as well as Industry) is operative hard to get investors," Zulkifle said.
Grandiose projects
Zulkifle brushed aside concerns over the safety of Bakun, the single of the world's largest rock-filled embankment dams, job it "sound."
He pronounced released H2O was treated to ensure it was clean as well as denied corruption allegations.
"All the income which is paid is audited. We have been scrutinised," he said.
The dam was meant to help cut Malaysia's dependence upon oil as well as gas for physical phenomenon generation. Up to 90 percent of output was to be sent to some-more industrialised peninsular Malaysia around undersea cables.
But economic downturns over the years forced protracted building the whole delays as well as shuffling of contractors, as well as the wire plan was shelved upon cost concerns.
The Malaysian section of Friends of the Earth says nearly the quarte! r of phy sical phenomenon genius in Sarawak already is unused, observant which the nation as whole also has an physical phenomenon surplus.
The programmed 8 turbines will have the genius of 2,400 megawatts when commissioned by 2014. Current Sarawak demand is 1,000 MW.
Then-finance apportion Anwar Ibrahim dangling the Bakun dam as well as other large schemes in 1998 among the regional monetary crisis, angering Mahathir, who was known for subsidy showy projects.
It was revived in 1999 after Anwar was ousted in the falling-out with Mahathir, with Sarawak Hidro acquiring the plan from original private Malaysian developer Ekran.
The dam's genius stays far as well most for Sarawak as well as only the undersea wire could deliver its viability, pronounced Anwar, right divided antithesis leader.
"Otherwise we will have the white elephant. Sarawak does not need all which power," he told AFP.
Despite the Bakun controversy, the state has plans for the dozen some-more dams, angering internal tribes.
There have been about 200 cases in Malaysian courts brought by inland people fighting state merger of their land for dams, joist concessions, or other developments.
-AFP
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