LOOKS like the bauxite mining in Bukit Goh near Kuantan in Pahang will continue for a while more.
Under the feet of residents, there are copious amounts of the deposits, so much so that large tracts of their oil palm estates have been cleared for mining activities.
It is more profitable to turn their plantations into bauxite mines. Even when the state government imposed a clamp on bauxite mining, there are still plantation owners who submitted petitions to obtain a mining licence for their land.
Although lucrative, the main snag is that the mining has caused a lot of misgiving among residents because of the pollution it causes.
Just a few kilometres after exiting the Kuantan toll plaza, the first thing motorists will see is the red dust swirling from robust bauxite mining operations.
Huge mounds of red earth on both sides of the road, with excavators filling a long queue of tipper lorries waiting to transport the earth, greets them.
The road from Bukit Goh to Kuantan is permanently stained with red earth. This is the route that the lorries laden with bauxite use to send the mineral to collection points in Kuantan Port and Gebeng.
The opposite lane from Kuantan to Bukit Goh looks cleaner in comparison as the empty lorries return to the mining sites.
On dry days, the pollution gets worse as the red earth is blown into the air. The view in the area is tinted with a dusty red hue.
The money earned from bauxite mining is huge — about RM750 million was generated from its production this year. Of this amount, the state government collected just RM37 million, or five per cent of the royalty it imposes on the mining operators.
The state government is now caught between safeguarding the interests of the public and its lucrative income from bauxite mining.
It is no easy task to balance the conflicting needs. It has to choose between preserving the environment and keeping investors happy.
The revelation last month by this paper that there were high traces of hazardous elements, such as heavy metals in the water near the mining sites, has jolted those in power to review the position of the state government on the mining operations.
There are only two options: the operation may be allowed to go on or it has to be shut down. Thousands of people in Bukit Goh will be thankful if the state picks the second option.
On the other hand, those making money from bauxite mining will stand to lose millions of ringgit.
It will be a win some, lose some situation for the state government. But, ultimately, it is a victory for residents who have had to endure the swirling red dust for months.
Authorities have collected samples of water, earth and bauxite to be tested at the Atomic Energy Licensing Board to determine if there is a serious health hazard to humans. The findings, expected this month, will determine the state government’s decision on whether the mining operations can go on.
Either way, any decision by the state government will show the leadership strength of Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob in dealing with a tricky situation.
People will be closely watching whether he cares more for the ordinary man or big businesses.
The writer is NST Pahang bureau chief