The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology has ordered provincial authorities to stop Vattanac Properties, a land developer, from filling in a lake in Kandal’s Kien Svay district because it would affect water supplies to farms of nearby residents.

Chun Pen Long, the ministry’s head for Kandal, said the company attempted to fill a lake almost 10 hectares in size but was ordered to temporarily stop all operations in order for the ministry to investigate.

“Minister Lim Kean Hor ordered the provincial authorities to stop Vattanac’s tractors from filling the state’s lake. If filled, it would affect local water sources, because there will be no water for residents to farm with,” he said.

Heng Team, Kien Svay district governor, said the company only owned land near the lake and had no right to fill it in. “The local authorities didn’t dare to stop the company, so that’s why we referred the matter to the ministry.”

Vattanac Properties could not be reached for comment yesterday.