BANGI, 5 Oct 2020:
The incident of pollution in Sungai Batang Benar near Nilai is believed to be using the same modus operandi as the three other cases of river pollutions in Negeri Sembilan prior to this.
State secretary Datuk Dr Razali Ab Malik said the contaminants were believed to have been dumped in the state by parties from outside Negeri Sembilan.
“The wastes were brought in by lorries and dumped in the area and we are taking measures to prevent them from ending in the river.
‘’We will conduct cleaning work after samples of the contaminants are taken for analysis by the Chemistry Department.’’
Due to the dumping incident, he said the area was closed to the public.
‘’Previously, three waste dumping cases were also detected in the state. Sungai Anak Air Garam, in Mambau, and Sungai Belihoi, in Mantin, were polluted with oil and chemical wastes, respectively, in December last year while Sungai Batang Nilai, here, was polluted with waste oil in August this year.
He said the state government would continue to monitor the area to prevent the dumping incidents from recurring.
The Ministry of Environment and Water, in a statement today, announced that a shrubby area in Jalan Emas, on the fringe of the Nilai Industrial Area, here, had been identified as the main location of the wastes.
The ministry said a number of wastes including organic compounds were found at the site.
Earlier, it was speculated that a major cleaning up at a duck and goose farm beside Sungai Pajam in Negeri Sembilan is believed to be the source of the odour pollution in Sungai Semenyih and Sungai Langat.
Selangor State Environment, Green Technology, Science, Technology and Innovation and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Hee Loy Sian said this followed pollution detected from organic substances such animal carcass – and not from petroleum.
Apart from that, he said other sources are suspected to be from Nilai 3 Industrial Park and he hoped the Negeri Sembilan government would take the initiative to investigate the matter.
Hee spoke to reporters when witnessing the pumping of water from Tasik Idaman, Sungai Buah into Sungai Semenyih to dilute water in Sungai Semenyih here today.
Operations at the Water Treatment Plants (WTP) in Semenyih and Bukit Tampoi had to be halted at 4.30pm yesterday (Sunday) after odour pollution was detected in Sungai Semenyih and Sungai Langat – which resulted in water supply disruption.
Hee said the odour reading yesterday of between three and four TON (threshold odour number), was detected at the intake point of Sungai Semenyih and in Bukit Tampoi WTA, it which exceeded 11 TON last night.
The odour reading at 9.30am today was eight TON (odour measurement) and was at unstable level. He said the WTPs could reopen if the reading falls to zero.
“Both WTPs are expected to resume operation this evening if the odour reading falls to zero TON.”
The odour pollution caused 273 areas involving 309,605 accounts in four districts namely Petaling, Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat and Sepang to experience unscheduled water supply disruption.
Hee said two pumps have been mobilised to supply 27 million litres of water per day in Sungai Langat while 300 MLD in Sungai Semenyih.
Since 8am today, Air Selangor has mobilised 64 water tankers to critical premises such as affected schools and residential areas.
A total of 14 static water tanks, seven water filling stations, nine local service centres (PKS) and 10 public water taps had been provided to the affected users.
– Bernama