One of Phnom Tamao’s successfully replanted areas. FB
The contingent from the bodyguard unit assigned by Prime Minister Hun Sen to replenish the Phnom Tamao forest area in northern Takeo province’s Bati district has declared mission accomplished with the planting of more than 150,000 saplings now complete.
The soldiers also dug ponds, put up fencing and handed over the management of the site to the provincial administration, the Forestry Administration and local authorities late last week.
Hing Bun Heang, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and Commander of the Prime Minister Bodyguard Unit, said that after receiving an order from Hun Sen on August 10, he sent 1,225 soldiers along with a great deal of heavy machinery to prepare the land for planting saplings and digging ponds and reservoirs for watering those saplings in the dry season.
The bodyguards also installed wire fencing on 530ha of land in the Phnom Tamao area.
“A total of 157,951 saplings were planted on 530ha of land with two ponds and one reservoir dug and 5,029 stone boundary pillars were erected with 5,029m of barbed wire strung,” he said.
“We’re now ready to hand over this work to the local authorities … in order for them to continue maintaining the site,” he said.
Deputy provincial governor Ly Saveth told The Post on October 9 that since the October 7 handover, the provincial authorities had yet to conduct a meeting to determine a management plan. But he noted that the provincial governor is expected to chair a meeting on the site management on October 11 or 12.
“We don’t have official plans for further action yet, we’re waiting for provincial governor [Ouch Phea] to lead the meeting,” he said.
Saveth said the reforestation of the site was well organised and very attractive, and that the saplings planted match beautifully with the existing trees around them.
“It looks beautiful and we have planted good trees in neat rows and lines. In the future, I think in maybe three more years, that will be a very wonderful place to visit because those saplings are all luxury wood trees,” he said.
He confirmed that that area has a gated entrance and is surrounded by fencing and guards will be posted to the site full time.
