The battle to preserve the 613m-tall mountain began in 1996 when the then state government approved a limestone quarry project to Yiked Holdings Sdn Bhd, a company under the Kedah Islamic Foundation.
For the record, the previous EIAs had missed out on the compulsory Heritage Impact Assessments of the area. Two experts, a geomorphologist and an archaeologist, have expressed their concerns about the fate of the mountain . According to the EIA report, with 16.6 million sq m to be mined, the company would extract some 52,000 tonnes of limestone a month, assuming it operates 10 hours a day, with 100 lorry trips per day.Gunung Pulai’s eco-tourism potential is immense. PIC BY SAFUAN SALAHUDINDividing that over the 78 years of the projected lifespan of the quarry, that would bring the mining company no more than RM10 million a year.
Seven of the many more caves in Gunung Pulai — Gua Kelambu, Gua Gelap, Gua Ikan, Gua Kambing, Gua Lesong, Gua Layang-Layang and Gua Tok Shek — are listed as part of the geo-heritage site.Bukit Baling, which stands at the other end of this horseshoe-shaped range, had, over the past years, been mined for its limestone.
Those fighting to save the mountain are convinced that with political will and support, Gunung Pulai and its surrounding areas, which offer tourism attractions, could generate a sustainable, long-term income stream for the state, providing residents with business opportunities in the hospitality, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and eco-tourism industries, while preserving the environment and Baling’s aesthetics.
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