KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — The relevant enforcement agencies have been urged to beef up monitoring and take stern measures to stop dumping of toxic wastes into rivers to avoid a repeat of the Sungai Kim Kim waste pollution incident.
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said related agencies should conduct joint operations to ensure that business premises, factories and the public do not pollute the drainage system and rivers.
“More importantly, stern action should also be taken against those who pollute the rivers, as a deterrent to others,” he said.
“Preventive measures are crucial as they can identify activities that could become the source of pollution and stop the pollutants from entering the drainage system and rivers.
“We should not wait for a similar incident to recur before intensifying inspections at business premises, factories and residences,” he said in a statement today.
Lee added that the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry has revealed that 25 rivers in several states have been categorised as dead rivers indicating the possibility that there are more polluted rivers in the country than what had been reported.
He said joint operations need to be implemented regularly and continuously so that all parties would comply with the guidelines and laws on the disposal of waste while spot checks and samples must be taken from premises to ensure the operators do not violate the laws especially the Environmental Quality Act (EQA) 1974. — Bernama
