SHAH ALAM, Oct 31 — The Selangor Water Management Board (LUAS) and Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) swung into action by taking early precautionary measures after a level three threshold odour number (TON) pollution incident was detected upstream of Sungai Kuang following a factory fire in Gombak yesterday.
State Environment, Green Technology, Science, Technology and Innovation and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Hee Loy Sian said that currently, LUAS, Air Selangor and Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) have placed 43 activated carbon bags at the Sungai Kundang, which receives the inflow of water from Sungai Kuang that is one of the main tributaries in the Sungai Selangor basin.
“This move is to prevent the smell from the plastic processing factory fire, which is located about 33 kilometres from the Rantau Panjang Water Treatment Plant (LRA) that flows into Sungai Sembah and then to Sungai Selangor.
“Until now, LUAS, Air Selangor and MPS are working to stop the fire waste from flowing into the river through the construction of an earth bund at the site,” he said in a statement here today.
Following the incident, the factory has been issued a water protection order under Section 122 of the Selangor Water Management Authority (LUAS) Enactment 1999 regarding the risks and threats posed by the incident to the quality of water sources.
“Thus far, the LRA is still operating and no water disruptions are reported. The mitigative follow-ups and surveillance efforts have been stepped up and will be carried out by LUAS and other involved parties from time to time,” he said.
He said the smell pollution was detected at about 10pm yesterday and the investigation found that remnants from the fire were on the water surface, but black burnt components have flowed into the upper streams of Sungai Kuang. — Bernama
