Water pollution: Selangor orders joint raid on factories in Kuang

The Selangor government has ordered the local council in charge of the Kuang area to coordinate a joint law enforcement operation on all factories there.

This followed yesterday’s call by the National Water Services Commission (Span) for an urgent raid on factories in Kuang to ensure they do not pollute tributaries to Sungai Selangor, which is a main water source for the state.

Selangor state exco member Ng Suee Lim, who is in charge of the local government portfolio, said he has ordered the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) to organise an immediate inspection together with other agencies.

“They will do the joint operation together with the Environment Department (DOE), Selangor Water Management Authority, the district land office, and the Irrigation and Drainage Department.

“I have ordered MPS to check all factories in Kuang, especially those near tributaries there, and find out if there are more factories like the one responsible for the (recent river pollution) case.

“They will check everything, including whether there is any factory that is abusing their permit or allowing other parties to use their EIA (environmental assessment impact) like what happened in the reported case.

“We want to prevent such an incident from happening again,” he told Malaysiakini.

On July 23, Air Selangor had to temporarily shut down four water treatment plants in the state due to odour pollution - which was later traced back to a recycling factory located at Jalan Kampung Orang Asli Kuang.

The incident had caused water cuts in some 1,140 areas across the state.

Following this, Span held an inquiry in August where it was revealed that the incident was caused by the illegal factory which used polymethyl methacrylate (PMAA) - a solvent chemical hazardous to health - to recycle plastic waste.

They also found that a local recycling business had leased the premises and illegally loaned its permits to the foreign-owned company.

On top of this, investigations revealed that the local business had also carried out an illegal diversion of a tributary to run through its compound and allegedly used it as a point to dump its waste.

Span chairperson Charles Santiago in a press conference yesterday called for the Selangor state government, MPS, and DOE to raid all factories there, saying that the commission has learned that there are more similar activities in the area.

Malaysiakini has also contacted the DOE for comments.

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