S'gor urged to gazette sources of raw water

The Selangor government has to allocate enough funds to Lembaga Urus Air Selangor (Luas) for it to immediately gazette sources of raw water to check encroachment which continues to take place, according to the 2008 report of the Auditor-General.

It says the management of potable water quality in the state was satisfactory but the management of raw water quality had to be stepped up.

"The status of gazetting is not satisfactory because river valleys, water catchments and water bodies have yet to be gazetted although Luas was set up in 1999," it adds.

Delay in protecting water catchments had led to encroachment such as sand mining between 2006 and 2008 which had polluted Sungai Beranang as well as the water intake of Sungai Semenyih for the Sungai Semenyih water treatment plant, says the report.

Leachate from the refuse disposal site in Sungai Kembong, Hulu Langat, also flows into the Sungai Beranang and Sungai Semenyih, it adds.

"Based on the National Quality Index, the auditors feel that the average index for Sungai Tengi, Kuala Selangor, and Sungai Semenyih, Hulu Langat, was unsatisfactory because of the annual decline from 2006 to 2008," says the report.

The report points out that the Sungai Sireh water treatment pond and tank had not been cleaned for more than 10 years, and reprimanded Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) for not cleaning the pond and tank in 2008.

It recommends that the state government set up a committee comprising the relevant parties managing water quality, such as Luas, Syabas, Selangor Health Department and water treatment plants, to step up communication and coordination.

Unsatisfactory flood mitigation project

On another matter, the report says the management of the flood mitigation project in Shah Alam was unsatisfactory as floods continue to occur and have a negative impact on the people.

It cites some of the reasons as lack of comprehensive planning, insufficient funds and absence of monitoring or coordination with other government departments and agencies.

The appointment of contractors did not meet the conditions of the Construction Industry Development Board, and some contractors were found to have implemented projects beyond their qualification, says the report.

The report also says the Selangor Department of Forestry is weak in enforcement as there has been air and water pollution which seriously affected flora and fauna.

It says permanent forest reserves are illegally exploited for housing, commercial buildings, houses of worship, breeding of swiftlets and deer, and temporary occupation licences are issued for land in the reserves yet to be gazetted as such.

"The enforcement of deer breeding in the permanent forest reserves by the Selangor Department of Forestry is unsatisfactory because the state exco has yet to decide on the issue of illegal exploitation of the reserves," it says.

Also unsatisfactory is the department's monitoring of prawn fry breeding in the Sungai Kapar permanent forest reserve, which has affected the quality of the environment, because of the shortage of enforcement officers and limited allocation of funds, it adds.

Firefly population at risk

The report says the firefly population in the Kampung Kuantan area of Sungai Selangor was under threat owing to the felling of trees on the jungle fringe by private land owners for agriculture.

"If the area is not restored, the tourism industry here will be wiped out along with the firefly population there," it adds.

The report says the state government plans to acquire the privately owned land along the Sungai Selangor there to maintain the firefly habitat.

The report recommends that the department, among other things, review the permit for exploitation of permanent forest reserves, recruit more enforcement officers and apply for a special allocation to restore the encroached areas.

- Bernama