Sungai Johor Pollution: Recovery To Take Time; Fishermen Hope Rainy Season Saves Them

KOTA TINGGI, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- The effects of the Sungai Johor pollution affecting the livelihoods of fishermen, especially the Orang Asli community, are expected to take a long time to recover.

Fisherman Azman Inam, 48, from Kampung Orang Asli Sayong Pinang, said the fishing community is now only hoping that the rainy season will help save them.

“It feels like this river will recover at the earliest in six months, because the flood season is also approaching.

“We hope it can be restored as soon as possible and the fish can return to the waters, as they are starting to lay eggs now. This is what is frustrating, as this is our source of income," he told reporters when met here today.

Azman said the fishing community is worried about their lost income, and hopes the government can provide appropriate assistance.

"I hope the government will be more firm and proactive by conducting more frequent monitoring at pollution sites," he said.

Meanwhile, Majid Jantan, 63, village chief of the Kampung Orang Asli Sayong Pinang, said the fishing community was forced to fish in more distant areas and also seek additional income by tapping rubber.

“We see that even heavy rain doesn't help that much...our river is getting lower. If we want to fish, we have to go further out," said Majid, who is also a fisherman.

Therefore, he hopes that fishermen who earn around RM60 to RM100 a day will be assisted.

The pollution incident has affected the livelihoods of over 150 fishermen, including the Orang Asli community, along the upper reaches of Sungai Johor.

Overall, a total of 455,757 water consumer account holders or nearly 1.8 Johor residents were affected in stages due to the pollution that caused water disruptions last Friday

Johor Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communication Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh was quoted as saying the pollution occurred after a sand-washing pond at a land-based sand mining site broke.

He said the incident was caused by ground movement that caused the sixth sand washing pond owned by a local company to break, contaminating the flow of the Sungai Johor.

--BERNAMA