GERIK: The Kenderong Permanent Forest Reserve (PFR) has made history of sorts when it became the first location in Peninsular Malaysia to be equipped with a helipad and tube wells to strengthen forest fire management.
Perak Forestry Department (JPNPk) assistant director (Forest Plantation and Innovation Section) Mohamad Farhan Sukiman said the project provided an alternative water source to extinguish forest fires at Kenderong PFR.
“The Minerals and Geoscience Department (JMG) provides geotechnical expertise for building the tube well complete with pumps, protective structures and safety system, while the JPNPk coordinates the location management, operations and technical implementation at the site.
“In addition, the construction of a helipad by the Perak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) near the tube well shortens aerial operation time from 10 minutes to just three minutes for round trips to Kenderong PFR.
“It also reduces reliance on open water sources such as Sungai Perak and Tasik Banding,” he said at a press conference when visiting the site here yesterday, Bernama reported.
Mohamad Farhan said the initiative was a model of cross-agency collaboration based on technical expertise, integrated planning and long-term strategies in disaster management.
“The project is expected to open up space for the development of other high-impact infrastructure for the sake of environmental sustainability and national security, especially in the state of Perak which is richly forested.
“This project is also the result of strategic cooperation between the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia, the Perak government through the JPNPk, JMG and JBPM Perak under the allocation of the Forest Fire Infrastructure Construction and Equipment Procurement Project in Perak (2023-2025),” said Mohamad Farhan.
