THE party that polluted Sungai Kubang Tiga in Padang Besar, Perlis must be punished at once, the Penang Consumers’ Association (CAP) said today.

CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader said the state Environment Department (DOE) must fully enforce the Environmental Quality Act 1974 to take action against those guilty of pollution.

He added that no action has been taken against the offenders in the case of the Perlis river, which became polluted in December.

He said a DOE probe had found that the pollution was caused by leachate from a nearby landfill.

“This caused the water in the river to become polluted, turn black and smell,” said Mohideen.

He said people used to be able to bathe and fish in the river.

“The farmers who use the water for their crops also suffer losses because their income has been reduced the pollution,” he said in a statement.

He said the authorities must reveal if they had taken any action so far on the polluters, adding that any punishment must be commensurate with the offence as stipulated under the Environmental Quality Act 1974.

The Agriculture Department must conduct an assessment regarding the crop yields of farmers who are affected and compensate them for the losses they have suffered so far.

“Regular and continuous monitoring needs to be done to ensure that the company managing the landfill has taken measures to protect the environment and keep it safe for the local residents.” – July 24, 2023.