This is the first of the four part series on the bauxite mining activities in Kuantan, Pahang that has polluted the environment and disrupted the lives of the locals.

Bernama journalists Balqis Jamaludin and Cecilia Jeyanthi Victor were in Kuantan over a 10-day period in January 2016 to see how the bauxite mining activities have impacted the lives of the locals.

In this first part, the writers share their observations in the affected areas and the woes of the affected residents.

While on the way to the Kuantan Port, located about 30km from Kuantan town, the sight of the red dust covering much of the landscape greeted Bernama 's reporting team.

The passing vehicles, road signboards, trees and houses all appeared to be covered in red dust. This place truly lived up to the quip that Kuantan now resembles a Martian landscape.

Stepping out of the car near the Kuantan Port, the writers felt uneasy as one has to inhale the dust filled air. This is the same air that the locals have been breathing over the last three years.

It is more shocking to see the houses there appearing as if they have been painted in red. However, they were not painted in red but covered with the bauxite dust.

While driving around the area surrounding the port, the passing lorries carrying bauxite kicked up the red dust on the road, reducing the view.

Outsiders may be curious of the red dust and wonder how anyone could live in such conditions. However, the locals have become accustomed to living in the dust and the inconvenience that it is causing.

Locals become immune to red dust

Several of the locals living around Kampung Selamat - located about one kilometre from the port - and some traders along Jalan Gebeng highlighted to Bernama their woes caused by the red dust.

Kampung Selamat headman, Manap Muda, 64, lamented that the bauxite mining has contributed to environmental pollution and made red as the dominant colour of Kuantan's landscape.

After putting up with the red dust menace for the last three years, Manap and his family have practically turned immune to the condition.

"Each time the wind blows, the dust enters our homes. We have become so used to this. We are not sure how long we are to continue like this, (but) we are still hopeful the government will take some remedial measures," he said.

However, Manap was disappointed that the bauxite episode only came to the attention of the authorities and the media after the rivers and the sea in Kuantan had turned red at the end of 2015.

Earlier, the villagers' grievances over the red dust were supposedly ignored by the same authorities.

"We had sent memoranda after memoranda to the various departments but to no avail, it seemed that nobody was bothered.

"Thank God, the government finally took note of our woes and issued a three-month moratorium beginning Jan 15," he said.

Manap expressed hope that the bauxite mining activities would be stopped for good.

"Even if the government decides to allow the mining activities to continue, I hope the bauxite lorry drivers will comply with the procedures, i.e. adhering to the speed limits and have their lorries sprayed with water when they leave the mining sites.

"Just imagine if my house is the lorry driver's house, definitely he is going to be angry too," he said.

Manap proposed that the officials go to the ground to get the views of the affected villagers before coming up with a new standard operating procedure (SOP) in addressing the pollution caused by bauxite mining activities in Kuantan.

"The villagers want to know beforehand what is the SOP to be introduced to remedy the situation," he added.

Red dust affects businesses, too

The red bauxite dust has also affected the businesses along Jalan Kuantan-Kemaman, not far from Kampung Selamat.

Anas Ahmad, 60 - who sells miscellaneous items, including pre-loved clothing and personal accessories - lamented that all the items in his shop were covered with red dust.

He pointed to the lorries carrying bauxite along the East Coast Highway, as the culprits.

"I sell textile based items like clothing and bags, thus when they get covered in red dust it is not easy to clean them. Even when we dust or wipe them, the red dust is back within half a day.

"This is how I lost my customers. Previously, people from outside Kuantan will stop over at my shop to get some souvenirs. I could earn between RM200 and RM300 per day then. However, since mid 2015 there had been days where I hardly sold anything the whole day," he said.

Anas, who started the business two years ago, is left with no choice but to close down his business soon.

Anas' friend Muhamad Iskandar Johari, 37 - who runs a grocery outlet next to him - also lamented that his business had dropped by 50 percent due to the red dust menace.

"Many of my workers could not withstand the dust and were forced to seek employment elsewhere. Moreover, they can't be wiping the red dust every five minutes. Customers also avoided buying food items, especially after looking at the dust," he said.

Muhamad Iskandar opined that it was next to impossible to stop the mining activities that has been going on for several years now. However, he noted even if the mining activities were allowed, it should be done in a controlled manner and with stronger enforcement to ensure the well-being of the locals.

Based on the feedback received by Bernama from the affected areas, the residents remained optimistic that the authorities would find a solution for the woes caused by bauxite mining.

All the locals want is to get back to their lives like how it used to be before the invasion of the red dust caused by bauxite mining activities.

However, one thing is for sure: reversing the situation or finding a win-win situation for all, is not going to be easy.

- Bernama