Here’s another water pollution incident that is happening in Malaysia.
According to Berita Harian, residents of Kampung Bakar Kapur, Penghulu Him, Sungai Petani, found their nearby drain water turned green and it is believed that the culprit of this water pollution incident is a housing contractor project nearby.
While the polluted water is only seen in the drain, the residents were worried that it will affect the water flowing there as the drain is connected to the Muda River, the longest river in Kedah, and a source of income for some villagers.
Besides, the residents had found dead fishes accompanied by the foul-smelling water since last Wednesday (26 January).
According to a local eatery owner, Ramizan Marzukir, he said he noticed the weird looking water when one of his customers pointed out that there’s an awful smell.
The customer further investigated and found that the smell was coming from the drain near his restaurant which surprisingly turned green at the time. He then informed Ramizan and the village head of his findings.
“Another determined villager tried to find the cause of this problem and detected around 16 big blue barrels believed to be filled with toxic waste in the housing construction site in Penghulu Him” said Ramizan.
After that, both Ramizan and the village head went to the housing construction site and asked the contractor about the incident, but they only gave a fishy answer saying that they are only cleaning the houses there with shampoo.
They find it difficult to believe the contractor’s answer and contacted the Kedah Environmental Department (JAS) to investigate further. It is believed that a water sample from the drain is taken for testing and the area is sealed temporarily by them until the results are acquired.
Meanwhile, it was reported that the water returned to normal after the incident, but deposits of waste material were still seen in the drain near the residential homes.
The Minister of Environment and Water, Yang Berhormat Ustaz Dato’ Sri Tuan Ibrahim bin Tuan Man had commented on the matter on his official Facebook page and said JAS Kedah managed to find around 52 blue barrels, 22 of them believed to contain paint before.
JAS also found plenty of cosmetic waste at the location nearby. They have confiscated the barrels and took samples for further inspection. Besides calling the contractor representative for questioning, JAS has also sent this issue to Solid Waste And Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) for more action.
