Cambodia: ministry does maintenance on Tonle Sap boundary posts to stop future land encroachment

Officials from the Tonle Sap Authority and the Water Resources and Meteorology Departments in the six provinces around the Tonle Sap Lake have inspected 659 boundary posts demarcating Region 3 of the lake, which the government had preserved for fish spawning grounds until the region was encroached upon by local people and some officials.

The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology said on December 17 that the 659 posts inspected were out of a total of 802 or 82.2 percent of them. The posts were planted around the lake to prevent encroachment.

Of the 659 posts, 208 that were still standing were painted to make them more visible, 202 inclined posts were painted after they were straightened and 208 were underwater. The ministry also planted 41 new posts. The posts which are currently located in the water will be inspected when the water recedes.

The ministry said they have also placed informational banners at ten different locations. They are among a total of 52 banners that will be placed around the lake.

Prime Minister Hun Sen recently ordered a crackdown on the encroachment of flooded forests in the six provinces around Tonle Sap Lake: Pursat, Battambang, Kampong Chhnang, Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap, and Kampong Thom.

Tens of thousands of hectares of flooded forests around the lake have been destroyed.

Officials in the six provinces and relevant national authorities are currently reforesting the area with different kinds of trees that are native to the area.

In Kampong Thom province alone nearly 40,000 saplings have been planted in Region 3 in Srayov commune of Stung Sen town.

In Battambang province, authorities have been planting palm, bamboo and raing trees.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES