Sg Gombak slope project begins

MORE than 40 volunteers from Berjaya Sompo Insurance Bhd (Berjaya Sompo) and Orang Asli community folk planted over 730 trees at the Sungai Gombak slope at the Kampung Batu 12.

This initiative aimed to protect water resources at the Klang River Basin by planting trees to mitigate soil erosion at the river slope.

Berjaya Sompo embarked on this initiative with Global Environment Centre (GEC), in partnership with the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) Gombak, Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) Gombak and Petaling District, Jungle School Gombak Malaysia and Friends of Sungai Gombak Batu 12 at Kampung Batu 12.

The group planted tree species such as Melastoma malabathricum (Senduduk), Dillenia suffruticosa (Simpoh Air) and Saraca thaipingensis (Gapis), and erosion control plants like Chrysopogon zizanioides (Vetiver) and Schizostachyum jaculan (Buluh Termiang).

After this, the Orang Asli community, through the Friends of Sungai Gombak Batu 12 platform, will monitor the river and the trees planted.

Berjaya Sompo and GEC are collaborating to reduce potential riverbank erosions and landslides on the Upper Gombak River Basin through bioengineering.

Tan (left) and Kalithasan taking part in the tree planting event at Kg Batu 12, Gombak.

Sungai Gombak is a tributary of Klang River Basin. The effort also intends to increase the biodiversity of the area.

According to a statement, Berjaya Sompo’s chief executive officer Tan Sek Kee said, “We recognise that environmental sustainability is not just about reducing our carbon footprint but also about actively contributing to the well-being of our local communities.

“By addressing slope mitigation, we prevent potential disasters and create a safer environment for our people, flora, fauna and the river.”

For the first time for Sungai Gombak, the project adopted the soil bioengineering technique and involved the Orang Asli community from Kampung Batu 12.

The community was trained by GEC on slope bioengineering techniques.

Their involvement in the project directly provided them with a source of income.

The project also aims to support them in nursery establishment and management in the following year, which in turn can be another source of income generation for them in the future through a green economy model.

In his opening address, GEC River Care Programme manager Dr Kalithasan Kailasam welcomed Berjaya Sompo for their commitment to this project.

Following the tree-planting activity, GEC’s programme officers conducted a river monitoring demonstration as part of the river education initiative and follow-up monitoring.

River monitoring kit and tree monitoring kit were provided to the community representative for the monitoring phase of the initiative.

The participants, especially Berjaya Sompo staff, were given the opportunity to learn about the lifestyle and culture of the local indigenous community.