Recent updates in the highly accessible Google Earth has intrigued me to revisit one my my previous subject-the quarrying of the Panching Karst Formation. True to the words of my previous post, little has changed for the temple-occupied Bukit Charas while its sister mountains, Bukit Panching, Bukit Sagu and Bukit Tenggek became the antithesis.
The following is a list of comparative images taken over a 7-year gap whereby on the former is a 2003 image while on the later is a 2010 image:
Bukit Charas
2003
2010
Bukit Panching
2003
2010
As described previously, this already-disappeared hill is now a deep lake surrounded by a marble wasteland.
Bukit Sagu
2003
2010
Unfortunately for this hill, the view of its descruction is shrouded by overhead clouds. However, there is no doubt it has suffered much damage given that cement extraction has not abated at all.
Bukit Tenggek
2003
2010
Perhaps the most obvious of the changes that quarries have on the Panching Karsts System lies in this limestone massif, which is now broken up into two parts by the blasting of its central section.
Either way, one thing is for sure-given that it takes about 7 years to reduce Bukit Tenggek by half its original size, it may be only a decade before the hill ends up as another "Bukit Panching"; and definitely the same fate will befall upon the larger Bukit Sagu the following decade.
Reference:
1.Schilthuizen J.J. and Clements R. (2008) Tracking Land Snail Extinction From Space. TENTACLE 16:8-9 (IUCN/SSC Mollusc specialist group letter)click here
