KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 — Residents of Taman Eng Ann in Klang, Selangor need not panic and evacuate amid reports of chemical waste dumping contaminating a section of Sungai Klang in their neighbourhood.
Selangor Mentri Besar Amirudin Shari assured the locals that state agencies have started working to contain the contamination since last night, two hours after he was informed at 6pm of an oily substance at a pond that feeds off Sungai Klang.
“I advise residents around Taman Eng Ann to stay calm and not panic from this incident,” he said in a statement.
“This morning, a contractor was appointed to begin the clean-up which is expected to take two days to complete,” he added.
Amirudin said he has ordered state agencies, including the Selangor Disaster Unit, water company Lembaga Urus Air Selangor (LUAS), Klang City Council and the state Department of Environment to monitor the river and its surroundings to prevent the contamination from spreading.
Samples of the contaminant have been sent to a laboratory for analysis.
The mentri besar said a police report has been filed on the incident and promised that action will be taken against the polluters.
“Further investigations will be taken to identify the irresponsible people who dumped the chemical waste into this pond,” he said.
A similar chemical waste contamination in a river at Pasir Gudang, Johor earlier this week has turned into a health hazard forcing 111 primary and secondary schools as well as 94 nurseries and preschools in the district to close.
Over 2,000 people in the district have been reported to seek medical treatment, even going to facilities in Johor Baru. Nine are reportedly critical.
