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KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The recurring incidences of river pollution in this country and the frequent interruptions in the water supply require stricter policies to protect its raw water resources.
According to the president of the Global Environment Center (GEC), Dr. K. Kalithasan, the time has come for the government to place water under the auspices of the National Security Council (NSC), as it is considered an essential resource.
(GEC is a non-profit organization that works on environmental issues of global importance).
He said that 97% of the country’s water supply comes from rivers.
As such, he added, whenever a water supply disruption occurs due to contamination at the raw water source, it should no longer be construed as a small agenda for the state government to scrutinize.
“It should, in fact, be categorized as a national disaster,” he said.
Kalithasan said that water cuts due to pollution should not be seen as a “local problem at the state level” because it affects the daily lives of people, as well as businesses, factories and hospitals, among others.
He also said authorities should not let polluters lightly slap them with a compound, as it does not serve as an effective deterrent.
“For them, paying a compound of RM60,000 is not a problem at all.
“In fact, it is said that some companies already have an endowment to set up precincts every time they are issued one for committing a crime. So, in the end, it is the people who have to endure the water cuts, ”she said.
He said existing sanctions should be more severe, including the defendant’s liability for the cost of cleaning up a polluted river.
“Currently, taxpayers’ money is being used to clean up rivers polluted by these criminals. Why should taxpayers bear the huge costs?” he said.
TASK GROUP
The latest in the series of water interruptions in the Klang Valley occurred about 10 days ago after Sungai Gong in Rawang was contaminated by effluents from a heavy machinery maintenance factory located in the Sungai Gong industrial area in Rawang, Selangor .
The resulting contamination at the raw water source (Sungai Gong) forced the Sungai Selangor Phase 1, 2, 3 and Rantau Panjang Water Treatment Plants to halt operations, affecting some five million consumers.
By the way, the same factory was fined RM60,000 for committing a similar crime in March this year.
Last year, the Klang Valley experienced water supply interruptions at least nine times, most of which were due to contamination of the raw water supply.
On Monday, Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man announced the establishment of a special working group to investigate environmental crimes and push forward law enforcement activities against polluters.
He said the task force would be made up of officials from the Department of the Environment (DOE), the Water Services Commission (SPAN), the Department of Biosafety and the police.
The minister also said Malaysia’s environmental laws will also be amended to provide for tougher penalties, including imposing compounds and higher fines, suspending offenders’ business licenses, and forcing them to bear the cost of cleaning up pollution caused by they.
BAD SMELL
In an article written by the Chairman of the Malaysian Alliance of Civil Society Organizations, Lukman Sheriff Alias, published by a Malaysian daily newspaper last week, said that imposing a compound of RM 60,000 on a polluter is disproportionate to the severity of the crime committed.
He said that Section 79 of the Selangor Water Administration Authority (LUAS) Promulgation of 1999 sets a maximum fine of RM 100,000 or three years in prison or both for offenses related to the pollution of water resources. The 1974 Environmental Quality Act also establishes a similar fine or five years in jail or both.
“The question is, is the 100,000 ringgit fine adequate? It seems substantial but insufficient considering that the action of the offender can cause more than a million people to suffer (due to interruptions in the water supply),” he wrote.
Kalithasan said the government should consider mobilizing the services of the Malaysian Volunteer Corps Department (Rela) to monitor the discharge of industrial effluents into waterways by factories.
“Rela members can act as the ‘eyes’ of environmental agencies like the DOE and help them monitor our rivers,” he added.
Meanwhile, the director of the River Basin Management Division of the Department of Drainage and Irrigation, Md Khairi Selamat, said his monthly bill for cleaning rivers across the country amounts to about 500,000 ringgit.
Much of the cleanup work involves removing trash thrown into rivers by irresponsible people, he said, adding that the department must also make sure bad odors are removed so as not to cause a nuisance to people living nearby.
“In the Klang River, for example, the wastewater component is quite high and to get rid of its stench, we have to put it through various processes,” he said, adding that plastic debris can sometimes clog water channels and cause a bad smell. develop.
Md Khairi also said that under the department’s River of Life (RoL) project in the Klang Valley, a mobile app called Citizen’s Eye was introduced two years ago to allow the people of the city to be the eyes and ears of the authorities and be part of the city. River management and cleaning project.
The application allows the public to share information, photos or videos of any activity related to the river.
“People who live near riverbanks or who go there for recreational activities can use this application to share information, which can be complaints or comments about the level of cleanliness of the river,” he added. – Bernama
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