FORTY-FIVE factories around Nilai, which produce waste solvents and oils, have been inspected by the state Department of Environment (DOE).

Negri Sembilan Health, Environment, Cooperatives and Consumerism committee chairman S. Veerapan said the aim is to find the one responsible for causing odour pollution in Sg Semenyih, causing the closure of the water treatment plant on Saturday.

“The inspection covers all factories whether licensed or otherwise. From those inspected, we still haven’t been able to identify, we are still investigating and will notify the results later.

“However, we will continue the inspection to ensure that the contaminated material is only disposed of at Kualiti Alam Sdn Bhd waste management centre in Sendayan,” he told reporters after visiting the site of a suspected oil spill believed to comprise chemical substances at Sg Belihoi’s tributary in Mantin today.

He said this when commenting on a DOE statement on Tuesday that there were 46 factory premises in Nilai that had become the focus of the department’s search for the premises responsible for causing odour pollution in Sg Semenyih, due to the illegal dumping of toxic waste into the Indah Water Konsortium sewer by irresponsible parties.

As a result, the Sg Semenyih water treatment plant was forced to cease operations and 366 areas with 328,957 consumer accounts in Petaling, Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat and Sepang were affected.

Meanwhile, on the pollution of the Sg Belihoi tributary yesterday, Veerapan said the results of the analysis of water samples and chemicals taken from the site would be known within two weeks.

At the same time, the chemical clean-up work was currently underway and was expected to be completed today, he said, adding that water and air quality in the area have returned to normal. – Bernama, December 26, 2019.