JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- The District Disaster Management Committee has been activated to clean up the illegally dumped chemical waste at Tiong Nam Industrial Park and the Desa Tropika Industrial Area.
"The Johor government takes these pollution cases seriously, and this committee was activated under the directive of Johor Menteri Besar, Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi,” said state Health and Environment Committee chairman, Ling Tian Soon, in a Facebook post today.
"The Committee will deploy the relevant agencies and coordinate the clean up of illegal chemical waste and undertake remedial measures at the two locations," he added.
He also said the District Disaster Management Committee filed a police report yesterday to facilitate investigations and stern action, leading to the arrest of two suspects last night.
Meanwhile, Panti state assemblyman Hahasrin Hashim announced that 38 residents of Kampung Orang Asli Pasir Intan in Kota Tinggi, who were relocated to a temporary evacuation centre due to the chemical pollution in their village last Thursday, have been allowed to return home today.
"I was informed by the Kota Tinggi Health Office that they were instructed to return home this morning," he told Bernama.
Earlier, Johor Bahru Selatan District police chief ACP Raub Selamat reported that a lorry driver and his assistant, suspected of being involved in the chemical odour pollution cases in Johor Bahru and Kota Tinggi, were arrested at an apartment complex here last night.
Since Sept 3, a spate of odour pollution has been reported in various locations, including Kampung Melayu Pandan, Taman Daya, Taman Istimewa, Taman Mount Austin, Desa Tropika Industrial Area, Kampung Maju Jaya, Kampung Tawakal, Kampung Plentong Baru and Kampung Orang Asli Pasir Intan.
Illegally dumped chemicals were also found along the banks of the Sungai Plentong tributary in the Desa Tropika Industrial Area and Sungai Pandan in Tiong Nam Industrial Park.
-- BERNAMA
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