THE Department of Environment (DOE) had issued an equipment operation detention (POK) to several premises suspected to have caused the recent diesel odour pollution in Sungai Semenyih, which caused water cuts in parts of Selangor days ago.
“The order was issued after a probe was carried out on the premises along Sungai Semenyih, particularly in the Beranang Industrial Zone. We have also taken oil and water samples from the premises for investigation.
“If the chemical analysis tests come positive, action will be taken under Section 25 of the Environmental Quality Act 1974,” DOE director-general Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar said.
On May 3 which was also the first day of Hari Raya, Air Selangor announced that 472 areas in Selangor would experience unscheduled water disruption due to odour pollution at the Jenderam Hilir raw water pump station intake.
The affected were Petaling (172 areas), Hulu Langat (54 areas), Sepang (194 areas), Putrajaya (23 areas) and Kuala Langat (20 areas).
Water supply has been fully restored to the affected areas as of this morning.
On that note, Latiff said that his team would continue investigating all the premises that could have caused the odour pollution and would not hesitate to take action against the culprits.
“If found guilty, the premises’ owners can be fined up to RM100,000 or jailed a maximum of five years, or both, and an additional fine of up to RM1,000 a day, for each day of the offence,” he noted. – May 5, 2022
