KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — Residents at the Intan Baiduri People’s Housing Project (PPR) have been putting up with stench from thousands of rotting fish since Tuesday evening.
Tilapia used to thrive in the lake that is part of the housing scheme.
Khairul Anuwar, 50, said: “Some residents think the lake may be polluted. It could be some kind of disease, and authorities must investigate immediately.”
Khairul said he had lodged complaints with City Hall, the Drainage and Irrigation Department, and Department of Environment.
“It’s going to be two days. I hope the authorities will take action quickly as the stench is becoming worse,” he said.
Another resident, Siti Aman, 38, said the incident was worrying.
“I hope people have not dumped poison or something harmful into the lake as children from the apartments swim there,” she said.
“Also, there are many people from all over Kuala Lumpur who come here to fish.”
Mohd Kadir Bakri, 41, said it was upsetting that the authorities had not taken action.
“No one wants to go near the lake. We have been telling the children not to touch the fish as we do not know what is causing them to die,” he said.
Mohd Kadir said the authorities needed to advise the people on whether any fish caught from the lake would be safe to consume.
“They need to find out what happened,” he said.
A Kuala Lumpur City Hall Public Engineering and City Transportation Department spokesman said the constant flow of pollutants in the pond might have increased the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and killed the fish.
“The incident is also known as ‘fish kill’ and it is caused when there is a lack of dissolved oxygen in the water. We believe excess urban runoff like pet wastes from the streets, leaves, dead grass, filth and even dirt were washed into the lake by the rain,” he said.
The spokesman said City Hall would begin a clean-up of the lake within two weeks.
“Because of the rain it would not be prudent for us to clean it right away as refuse will continue to flow into the lake. However, once the weather improves, we will try to dredge the lake of waste and other contaminants.
“I hope the residents remain patient and give us time to do the job.”
