GES Johor is calling for stringent monitoring and enforcement to combat river pollution. — Filepic
ADDITIONAL measures should be put in place to combat river pollution, particularly through more stringent monitoring and enforcement, says an NGO.
While lauding the government’s move to amend the Water Services Industry Act, Green Earth Society (GES) Johor president P. Sivakumar said there was a need for continuous oversight of rivers.
He emphasised the importance of enforcement agencies implementing 24-hour surveillance across all water bodies in Johor to prevent future contamination.
Sivakumar: Polluters of water sources should have their business licences withdrawn.Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof was reported to have said that amendments to the Act were expected to be tabled in Parliament next month to punish polluters with heavier fines of up to RM10mil.
“We hope more can be done beyond amending the Act to impose higher penalties on polluters,” Sivakumar told StarMetro.
“Government agencies through their enforcement should set up round-the-clock monitoring systems to ensure all rivers in the state are protected.
“This includes keeping a close eye on small businesses.”
He also called for stricter action against businesses operating in water catchment areas, and called for the immediate withdrawal of licences of those found to be polluting water sources.
He said that there had been an incident in Johor where a chicken farmer discharged waste into a river, causing ammonia poisoning.
To prevent similar occurances, he said the state agencies must ensure both upstream and downstream areas in water catchments are shielded from pollution.
“Licences of businesses operating within these sensitive zones should be revoked and assistance should be provided to relocate them,” he said.
Sivakumar also urged agencies such as Department of Environment (DOE) to take a more proactive approach in raising public awareness of river cleanliness, particularly targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SME).
“Government agencies should conduct awareness programmes to educate traders on managing their waste properly, rather than allowing it to be dumped into rivers indiscriminately,” he said.
Referring to recent pollution cases in the Tiong Nam Industrial Park and Desa Tropika Industrial Area, Sivakumar described these incidents as “criminal acts” by irresponsible parties.
“There are safe solutions for the treatment and disposal of hazardous waste.
“If someone chooses to dispose of it irresponsibly, the culprit should be held accountable and charged in court,” he said.
He added that there was need for industries that generate waste to have an auditable waste management plan.
“Every business producing waste must ensure all materials, waste and products are properly accounted for and verifiable.”
Sivakumar called for environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports and management plans to be made mandatory for these sectors, with regular audits conducted by the authorities to ensure compliance.
“Such measures, including inspecting waste management records, will promote transparency and accountability,” he said.
