A DATABASE for chemical use and processing must be developed and made mandatory for all industries to curb illegal dumping, which caused large-scale water disruptions in Selangor recently, said a think-tank.

Currently, unscrupulous factories dump their chemicals into rivers instead of sending them to processing centres because it is cheaper, said the Association for Water and Energy Research (Awer).

It is hard to catch the culprits because the authorities lack the manpower and the resources to police the entire length of rivers, which are raw water sources, said Awer president S. Piarapakaran.  

But if all companies that use chemicals, from car workshops to palm oil mills to factories, are made to register in the database, then the authorities can track them.

The database will track whether these companies store and transport their effluents properly to treatment centres, which they are legally required to do.

“If a company does not send its effluents on time or not at all, authorities can then send officers to check on the factories or workshops to see how they are getting rid of the chemicals,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

“Companies usually hire foreigners to take their chemicals and dump them illegally in remote areas to save money instead of sending them to treatment centres. This is why our rivers are polluted.

“Such a database is cheaper than hiring thousands of enforcement personnel and more effective than just crying about sabotage when pollution happens.”

Last weekend, 1.5 million residents in the southern part of Selangor were left with dry taps when two water treatment plants (LRAs) supplying their areas had to be shut down.

The plants were shut down after Sg Semenyih, from which the plants draw their raw water, was polluted by solvents and black oil in what has been classified as an act of illegal dumping.

In July, a similar incident occurred in Sg Selangor, which also triggered the shutdown of a treatment plant and left millions without water.

Last year, Johor’s Pasir Gudang experienced what was arguably one of the worst incidents of pollution, when hundreds fell sick after inhaling fumes from chemicals dumped into Sg Kim Kim.  

Piarapakaran, who had advised Malaysia’s water and energy regulators, said water operators and authorities have to spend millions to clean up the facilities and rivers whenever pollution cases occur.

“But every time pollution triggers a shutdown, they are blamed, when it’s not their fault. Preventing pollution is the responsibility of the Environment Department but they lack the manpower.

“The database solves this by tracking all importers, users and processors of chemicals, big and small. But to ensure it works, everyone must by law, register.

“If the Pakatan Harapan administration drags its feet on implementing such a system, there will be more cases of river pollution and more water supply disruptions.

“We will have to spend more and more money to clean up pollution and treat polluted water if we don’t make people who use chemicals more responsible.” – December 26, 2019.