translation Kampung Telok Gong and Kampung Sungai Tuang villagers, whose houses are located near several pig farms in Alor Gajah, Melaka are crying foul over the stench and pollution.

The villagers claim that the waste from the farm flows into the nearby Sungai Tuang and a stream. The smell, according to them, is unbearable.

The pig farms are located in Paya Mengkuang and the adjacent Bukit Beruang areas.

Kampung Telok Gong village security and development committee (JKK) chairperson Abu Bakar Darum said they even found a bloodstained pig skull in the river once.

"Sungai Tuang is laden with mud and waste from the farms. This flows out to sea making the waters at the banks and beaches appear dark. It causes itchiness as well.

"When the wind blows, the stench is terrible, especially at night. It makes us nauseous" he told malaysiakini during a recent visit to the area.

The pollution is clearly evident when the tide changes, leaving dark coloured sediments on the sand.

Numbers have doubled

Abu Bakar said the problem has become worse because the number of pigs in the area has more than doubled from the originally stipulated 48,000. There are now some 100,000 in the area.

Meanwhile, Kampung Sungai Tuang JKK chairperson Mohamad Abu Hassan claimed that only one pig farmer has a licence.

He said there were farms located a mere 50 metres from the houses and this has led some to shelve plans of constructing a new house on their land.

Another problem, he noted, is that farm owners seldom interact with the villagers, thus making it difficult for them to raise their grouses and find solutions.

Villager Kasim Majid ( right ), when met, said that the irrigation and drainage department tried to put in place a filtration system for Sungai Tuang but this was unsuccessful.

"There were times when the river overflowed into some of the houses and this is disgusting," he said, adding that the only solution is to either move or close down the farms.

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The second part of this article - the views of the pig farmers - will be published tomorrow.