SHAH ALAM, May 21 — Clean-up operations following water pollution in Sungai Kabul, Beranang were fully completed yesterday, with the river confirmed to have returned to normal and controlled conditions.
The Selangor Water Management Authority (LUAS) said suction and clean-up works involving the pollutant were completed at 1 pm following an incident involving coloured, foul-smelling and foamy water detected on May 17 in the Mahkota Beranang industrial area.
“The pollution is believed to have been caused by damaged treatment pond equipment at a plastic recycling premises, resulting in pollutants overflowing into the drainage system before flowing into Sungai Kabul,” it said in a statement yesterday.
LUAS said a total of 48 cubic metres of pollutants involving six treatment ponds at the premises were removed using two tanker lorries with capacities of eight and 40 cubic metres provided by contractors appointed by the company.
The agency said odour neutralisation measures were also carried out using approximately 125 kilogrammes of activated carbon in the Sungai Kabul area.
“Verification at the affected location found no further traces of pollutants, while monitoring at Sungai Kabul, Sungai Semenyih and the Sungai Semenyih Water Treatment Plant also detected no abnormal odour.
“The Raw Water Guarantee Scheme operation was terminated at 12.30 pm yesterday and the Sungai Semenyih Water Treatment Plant has resumed normal operations using raw water supply from Sungai Semenyih,” it said.
Following the incident, LUAS opened an investigation paper under Section 79(4) of the LUAS Enactment 1999 for offences related to water source pollution.
LUAS said it would continue to remain on alert on the ground to ensure any water pollution incidents could be prevented and addressed immediately.
Meanwhile, the Kajang Municipal Council also issued a compound, revoked the premises’ operating licence and seized the site, while the Department of Environment confiscated the premises’ equipment and machinery under the Environmental Quality Act 1974.
