KUANTAN: Despite the Pahang Department of Environment (DoE) providing statistical data to back their findings on the water quality in Tasik Chini, the Orang Asli living nearby claim the water standard has certainly deteriorated.
Earlier today, the DoE issued a statement saying checks conducted at 15 water monitoring stations around the lake since 2005, showed that it was in the "clean" category.
Kampung Gumum Orang Asli villager, Hassan Ismail, 36, described the latest controversies involving the lake, its water quality and the surrounding area as long-standing issues caused by mining activities in the vicinity.
"Today, the DoE informed that water quality remains clean, but it might be merely based on technical and scientific findings. As far as the Orang Asli community is concerned, the lake water is no longer the same anymore...there used to be ikan belida (grey featherback), arowana and jelawat (hoven's carp), but these are seldom found these days.
"The Orang Asli used to regularly bathe in the lake but these days we think twice about having a dip as the water temperature has increased and some parts have become shallow. At some parts of the lake, the water used to be crystal clear.... nowadays the lake is murky and will worsen during heavy rain," said Hassan from the Jakun tribe.
He said in the past, villagers could scoop water from the lake using their bare hands and drink it, but many were concerned about health issues when mining activities began near the lake some 11 years ago.
"People claim that the lake water is contaminated with toxic waste, which is true as the top soil resulted by mining activities near the lake will be pushed into the water during heavy rain. The Orang Asli in Kampung Cendahan still rely on the lake for their food source and daily water consumption, while those living in Melai rely on Sungai Pahang," he said.
Jamerol Leong, 37, said there was a time when the ikan toman (giant snakehead fish) were aplenty in the lake and the men in the village could easily catch them.
"These days, despite spending hours and changing to various types of baits, we will not be able to catch the fish. I have been frequenting the lake for more than 30 years and have witnessed the changes in the area from once a popular tourist destination to now an isolated lake," he said.
The DoE in the statement said water quality monitoring were conducted at the 15 stations once a month and the main parameters measured were biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), suspended solids (SS), ammoniacal nitrogen (AN) and iron (Fe).
"Overall, the data gathered from last year till March this year shows the water quality in the lake is categorised as 'clean' and is safe for all living things, especially for the aquatic life in it," it read.
Meanwhile, Kuantan member of parliament Fuziah Salleh in a statement, said the state government and DoE should display the water quality reading to the public.
"The data gathered from the 15 stations should be displayed to public so that everyone can monitor if the recently-approved mining site and existing mines contribute to water pollution," she said.
On June 3, a news portal reported that the Pahang government has given the green light for mining operations in the vicinity of Tasik Chini in Pekan to a royalty-linked company.
The project raised eyebrows as the state government had promised some two years ago that it will not approve any new mining lease around Tasik Chini to revive the lake into an ecotourism site.