KLANG: The impact of the Sungai Selangor effluent pollution could have been minimised if only the issue had been communicated earlier with the authorities concerned, including Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor).
Air Selangor chief executive officer Suhaimi Kamaralzaman said this when venting his frustration over the recent odour pollution that forced the shutting four major water treatment plants (WTPs) of Sungai Selangor Phase 1, 2, 3 and Rantau Panjang, which caused water supply disruptions to more than 1.13 million accounts in the Klang Valley, since Tuesday (Nov 10).
He cited a lack of communication between the relevant agencies as a key concern which needs to be immediately addressed to prevent such incidents in the future.
He said Air Selangor extracts water from rivers, thus requires the various other parties to work together in ensuring the rivers remain unpolluted.
"The relevant agencies which are monitoring the river (Sungai Selangor) should by right, immediately notify Air Selangor if they find any occurrence of pollution.
"Unfortunately here, there are perhaps communication channels that need to be improved because we found out that a certain treatment plant was closed down (upon detecting pollutants).
"If you close down (a treatment plant), I would appreciate if you had tell us as it would have posed a high risk of polluting the environment.
"I don't want to accuse anybody of doing anything. But to me, whoever operates a plant or factory that discharges into drains and rivers, if there is a problem with your premises, please do tell us. That is the frustration.
"That is what I'm appealing. Only then, we can arrest it (the issue) earlier," he said without naming the plant or agency concerned, at a press conference here today, after distributing water bottles to residents at Pangsapuri Arista, Bandar Parklands.
Also present was Port Klang assemblyman Azmizam Zaman Huri.
This latest water supply disruption occurred only three weeks after the last one in the Klang Valley and Selangor.
The police had said yesterday that 40 barrels of chemical waste were believed to be the cause of the latest round of water pollution in Sungai Selangor.
The barrels of chemicals were found on a premises located 300m from the Indah Water Konsortium sewage treatment plant in Taman Velox, Rawang, said Gombak police chief Assistant Commissioner Arifai Tarawe.
Inititial police investigations revealed that each barrel could fill 1,000 litres, with some already emptied.
The premises was rented two weeks ago. The police also did not discount a possibility of sabotage in the case. So far, four people were remanded in the case.
Selangor Tourism, Environment, Green Technology and Orang Asli Affairs Committee chairman Hee Loy Sian had also said that a scheduled waste disposal store in Taman Velox, Rawang, was suspected to be the cause of the Sungai Selangor pollution.
However, SPAN, in a statement today, denied an allegation that there was a delay in taking action against the latest effluent pollution at the Taman Velox STP.
SPAN said the foreign effluent was detected on Nov 4 at the Taman Velox STP was not the cause of pollution and closure of the plant. SPAN said it had instructed IWK to stop operations at the plant on Nov 5 and ordered that no effluent be channelled out into Sungai Gong.
It further said the Selangor Water Management Board (Luas) enforcement team had detected the odour pollution in Sungai Selangor at 12.20pm on Tuesday (Nov 10), following which Luas made an announcement. This complaint was later conveyed to other relevant enforcement agencies - police, Department of Environment, SPAN, Air Selangor, Selayang Municipal Council and IWK.
When asked to comment on statements by Hee and SPAN, Suhaimi said: "There are of course various statements being made. However, we are all here together and responsible to ensure the rivers are not polluted.
"If all parties communicate well, then we would have been able to counter it (the pollution) earlier.
"The failure to communicate (among agencies) has an effect on the river regardless of whose fault it is because then, we can all work together to arrest the problem sooner."
He said among the agencies responsible to ensure the environment was safe and clean were the local authorities who ensure factories operate within their permit and licences, DOE (ensures discharges comply with the environmental standards), Luas (monitors rivers), Air Selangor (extracts from river), and IWK (effluent discharge).
"If these agencies can communicate well, then we would not be in such as situation as the matter can be tackled immediately, a week earlier, for example.
"If they are only talking when a disaster happens, then we are in trouble. So I appeal to both governments to work together, to resolve this once and for all.
"I cannot guarantee that we won't have any pollution, but at least pollution from such sources can be immediately tackled," said Suhaimi.