KOTA BARU: A total of 19,500ha of permanent forest reserve (HSK) area in Kelantan has been approved for forest exploration activities under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), the state assembly heard.

       Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob said the felling of the trees in the affected areas was based on the Annual Felling Ration (CTT) set by the National Land Council at its 77th meeting on Sept 8 last year.

       The state government, together with the Forestry Department, controlled illegal forest clearing through satellite monitoring, Bernama quoted him yesterday.

       “Besides that, control is also done through Forest Monitoring Using Remote Sensing (FMRS), including monitoring with the use of drones and regular ground patrols in hot locations,” he said in response to a question from Saiful Adli Abu Bakar (PAS-Salor).

       Meanwhile, state agriculture, agro-based industry, biotechnology, green technology and environment committee chairman Tuan Mohd Saripudin Tuan Ismail said only about 30% of the state’s permanent forest reserve area is allowed by the State Forestry Department for agriculture and 30% of the CTT approvals were given specifically for use as durian orchards.