Decisive Measures To Be Taken Against Polluters Of Johor River Basin

KOTA TINGGI, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- The government has directed relevant agencies and departments to take decisive action under applicable laws against companies responsible for polluting the Johor River Basin, which has impacted nearly 1.8 million residents in Johor.

Deputy Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA), Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir, said the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) will launch an investigation under Section 121, following the pollution that disrupted water supply and led to the closure of several Water Treatment Plants (WTPs).

He added that the pollution caused the phased closure of four treatment plants: Semangar, Linggiu, Tai Hong, and Sungai Johor.

"Under Section 121, those found guilty can face a fine of up to RM15 million and up to 15 years in prison for polluting water sources that result in the closure of water treatment plants," he told a press conference after visiting the Sungai Johor WTP here today.

He added that the investigation is expected to be completed within a month and will be referred to the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) for further legal action.

Akmal Nasrullah also said that the ministry has secured commitments from all relevant agencies, including SPAN, the Johor Water Regulatory Body, Ranhill SAJ, and the Department of Environment, to implement measures that will prevent a recurrence of the incident.

He noted that 455,757 account holders - nearly 1.8 million people were affected by the pollution that occurred last Friday.

As of now, 54 per cent of account holders have had their water supply restored, with full recovery expected within 8 to 12 hours.

In addition, three WTPs - Semangar, Sungai Johor, and Linggiu are now operating at full capacity, while the Tai Hong WTP is expected to resume full operations by 1 pm today.

Yesterday, State Works, Transport, Infrastructure, and Communications Committee chairman, Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh, confirmed that the collapse of a sand washing pond at a sand mining site in Kota Tinggi caused the pollution.

He said the collapse, triggered by land movement, resulted in the breach of the sixth sand washing pond owned by a local company, which subsequently polluted Sungai Johor.

The incident led to an unprecedented increase in the turbidity of raw water in the Johor River Basin, with levels reaching 37,400 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU), compared to the normal level of around 400 NTU.

-- BERNAMA