IPOH, July 14 — A seaside fishing community in Kampung Baru Setiawan is blaming irresponsible development activities for polluting the nearby Sungai Dinding and hurting the local fishing industry.

They said their livelihood had been affected by river pollution, caused by diesel spillage by boats ferrying sand to a factory.

Village head Khairi Badrin, 47, said the factory had been using pontoon boats to ferry sand and other supplies to and from their site since last year. 

“These pontoons are pulled by tugboats, which belch excess diesel into the river every time they accelerate,” he said.

“They go up and down the river twice a month, polluting the water.”

Khairi said the boats also posed a danger to other vessels, as they would be moored along the river for three to four days at a time without any lights to signal their presence.

Fish farmer Ahmad Abdul Jamil, 42, said the pollution had affected fish breeding in the river.

“Despite the fact that we are more than one kilometre away on the opposite bank, the water currents carry the contaminants to our farms,” he said.

“As a result, the fish is affected by the pollution and become ill. We are worried the fish will begin dying out if the pollution continues.”

A neighbouring prawn farm on the banks of Sungai Dinding is also to blame, as it discharges waste water and rubbish into the river. 

Sahabat Alam Malaysia field officer Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahman said the farm did not comply with the Drainage and Irrigation Department’s (DID) guidelines, which required a 50-metre buffer zone.

“The buffer zone is supposed to protect the river from being affected by neighbouring development projects, but these prawn farms are going beyond the zone, as they are essentially on the river banks,” he said.

Meor Razak said the pollution from the prawn farm, believed to be around 7ha, was discovered a few months ago.

When contacted, Perak DID director Datuk Abd Razak Dahalan said the department would investigate the matter.

“We will be sending our officers to the site as soon as possible and we will also liaise with the Department of Environment, which is responsible for investigating river pollution,” he said.