Cambodia: Authorities discover more than 800 hectares of swamp forest land cleared in Battambang

Officials continued to discover more flooded forest land in Battambang were cleared by encroachers and deforestation.

Officers conducted surveying and inspection of three flooded forest areas in Ek Phnom District, Battambang. They reported that an additional nearly 900 hectares of land were recently cleared by criminals.

On December 4, the Deputy Governor of Battambang Province, Soeum Bunrith, led a working group and task force to inspect the target areas. The group also included officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries and the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning, and Construction.

The areas inspected were at Krapei, in Prey Chas Commune, Ek Phnom District.

The working group reported that the areas were cleared and made into farmlands, with new rice already sowed. They also reported that people in the areas were also preparing to clear more land.

Simultaneously, the Chairman of Thmor Koul District Unity Command also led another group to inspect and identify the encroachers of the flooded forest in Ta Men commune, Chroy Sdao commune, Ta Poung commune, and Boeung Ping commune. They reported that 12 families were currently living in the areas.

Currently, there are 29 total areas in four districts, Maung Russey, Thmor Koul, Ek Phnom, and Sangke districts, that are being illegally occupied. The areas collectively measure approximately 12,221 hectares.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES