Factory fined, sealed for polluting Sg Selangor

The Malaysian Insight The Malaysian Insight Updated 4 years ago · Published on 28 Mar 2020 9:11AM · 2 Comments

State exco Hee Loy Sian (in light blue shirt) and local council officials visit the Bestari Jaya factory, which manufactures bathroom supplies, near Sg Selangor, in Selangor, yesterday. – The Malaysian Insight pic, March 28, 2020..

A FACTORY was shuttered and its owners were fined after diesel from the facility was found to have polluted Sungai Selangor, triggering the shutdown of three major water treatment plants yesterday morning.

Selangor executive councilor Hee Loy Sian said storage drums at the Bestari Jaya factory, which manufactures bathroom supplies, were found to be leaking diesel into a drain that fed into a tributary of the river.

The river is a source of raw water for the Sungai Selangor phases one, two and three treatment plants, which consequently had to close at 9.40am yesterday morning.

The plants supply water to almost five million households in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

Hee told The Malaysian Insight the Kuala Selangor District Council and Selangor Environment Department have launched investigations into the factory.

The patch of diesel that had polluted the river has also been cleaned up, said Hee, who is the state exco in charge of environment, green technology, science and consumer affairs, during a visit to the site.

“The area has been cleaned up and factory has been sealed off by the district council.”

The treatment plants resumed operations at 11.55am following swift action by the Selangor Water Management Board (LUAS) which detected the pollution yesterday morning.

Water supply was not disrupted.

The latest incident comes just 10 days after the plants were shut down due to contamination in the same river.

The shutdowns came at a time when Malaysians were being told to frequently wash their hands as the country battled the coronavirus pandemic.

Kuala Lumpur and Selangor are among the states in the country worst-hit by Covid-19. – March 28, 2020.

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Comments

  • The authorities should enact laws and regulations to punish any business or factory which pollutes sources of raw water intake including rivers and waterways. Penalties need to be increased. Not only fines but a mandatory shutdown of the premises and a revocation of the guilty party's business licence and the premises operating licence. On top of that, the name of the offending party must be made public and listed in the local authorities website for all to see. That way the public will shun their products because they have caused hardship and costly disruptions to the livelihoods and well being of everyone in the affected areas. This lack of civic consciousness must be punished and the regulations strictly enforced.

    Posted 4 years ago by Panchen Low · Reply

  • Only a fine for an evil mistake that could have deprived 5mil consumers of water? The state govt is not getting serious with his responaibility! The authority is sending a wrong message to the factories owners. There will be more to come with this ineffective law governing the the industry on pollution. Its not punishing the factory ownersits protecting the factory owners and foregoing mass public interest.

    Posted 4 years ago by James Wong · Reply