HULU LANGAT, Jan 10 — The Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) collected 82,850 tonnes of solid waste from six states affected by the floods recently, said Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Abd Muttalib.
He said a total of 48.589 tonnes were collected in Selangor, followed by Pahang (32,000 tonnes), Negri Sembilan (1,400 tonnes), Kuala Lumpur (630 tonnes), Melaka (131 tonnes) and Johor (almost 100 tonnes).
“Most of the waste consists of bulky items destroyed in the floods. They include electrical appliances that cannot be repaired such as television sets,” he told reporters after participating in the SWCorp Bersamamu programme at Taman Sri Nanding here today.
The programme, which was aimed at repairing post-flood electrical equipment, was also attended by Deputy Human Resource Minister Datuk Awang Hashim and SWCorp chief executive officer Ismail Mokhtar.
Elaborating on the programme which is running from today until January 16, Ismail said some 600 electrical appliances comprising washing machines and refrigerators would be repaired rather than disposed off, thus reducing the estimated losses by almost RM1 million.
He added the programme also received cooperation from various parties, including the Human Resources and Youth and Sports Ministries.
“Some 150 volunteers are involved in the programme today and they are divided into 30 groups consisting of four to five volunteers each to enable wider access,” he said, adding 300 houses in Taman Sri Nanding are expected to benefit from the programme.
Meanwhile, Awang said among the volunteers involved in the programme are from skills agencies under the Manpower Department such as the Centre for Instructor Training and Advanced Skills (CIAST) and the Industrial Training Institute (ILP).
He hoped the initiative would reduce the burden on residents following the floods, as well as providing exposure to trainees of skills training institutes involved in the field and cultivate the practice of volunteerism. — Bernama
