wildsingapore news: johor-water

Showing posts with label johor-water. Show all posts

Showing posts with label johor-water. Show all posts

Malaysia, Johor: Land reclamation may be behind mass fish deaths

VENESA DEVI The Star 7 Sep 19;

What went wrong?: Some of the dead fish found along Pantai Lido.

JOHOR BARU: Land reclamation along Pantai Lido could potentially be the main cause of mass fish deaths in the area.

State Local Government, Urban Wellbeing and Environment Committee chairman Tan Chen Choon said the Department of Environment (DoE), along with the Fisheries Department, were still investigating the matter and not ruling out land reclamation as the contributing factor.

“The DoE visited the location on Thursday upon receiving complaints about the occurrence and found that the dissolved oxygen level of the water was very low at 1.2mg/l,” he said.

“The hot weather and disturbance of the water flow here due to land reclamation are believed to be contributing factors, but we are still investigating the matter.”

Malaysia: Nearly 150,000 to be affected by month-long scheduled water cuts in three districts in Johor

MOHD FARHAAN SHAH The Star 3 Sep 19;

JOHOR BARU: The lack of rainfall and the ongoing hot weather in the last two weeks have caused the water level at the Machap Dam to fall to critical level, disrupting supply to almost 150,000 consumers in three areas in Johor.

In a statement on Tuesday (Sept 3), the National Water Services Commission (Span) said the condition at the dam had forced water supply company, SAJ Ranhill, to activate scheduled cuts for about a month.

"Following this, it is estimated that a total of 149,550 consumers from 29,910 accounts around Simpang Renggam, Layang-Layang and Pontian Utara would be affected from Monday until Oct 2.

"To ensure that clean water supply is optimised under limited resource conditions, Ranhill SAJ will arrange to supply water for 36 hours, followed by the next 36 hours without water," said the statement.

Span also pointed out that besides Machap, three other dams in Johor were also at critical levels - the Lebam dam, Upper Layang dam and Pulai dam.

Malaysia, Johor: Situation in Pasir Gudang under control, no need to close schools - MB

VENESA DEVI The Star 30 Aug 19;

MUAR: The situation in Pasir Gudang is under control and there is no immediate need to shut down schools in the district, says Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal.

Dr Sahruddin said there has not been any new case reported since Thursday (Aug 29), and students who fell sick on Wednesday (Aug 28) have since recovered.

"Whether or not schools need to be shut down depends on the decision by the state education department.

Malaysia: Water treatment plants in Johor affected by hot weather, dry spell in state

VENESA DEVI The Star 24 Aug 19;

JOHOR BARU: Several water treatment plants have been affected by the dry spell in Johor, says State International Trade, Investment, and Utilities Committee chairman Jimmy Puah.

He said that the Sungai Gembut water treatment plant in Kota Tinggi could no longer operate normally due to the significant drop in the water supply.

"The water level at the treatment plant has dropped beyond its critical level of 0.0 meter to -0.87 meter. The plant is failing to operate normally," he said in a statement released on Saturday (Aug 24).

He added that several areas in the district are expected to experience water disruptions due to the dry spell and hot weather in the state

Malaysia: Manage water resources better, urges Johor Regent

MOHD FARHAAN SHAH The Star 20 Aug 19;

JOHOR BARU: The Regent of Johor Tengku Mahkota Ismail ibni Sultan Ibrahim, wants the state government to better manage its precious water resources.

This comes after Tunku Ismail, who was appointed as the Regent on Aug 11, attended a briefing on Johor’s water management at Bangunan Dato’ Jaafar Muhammad in Kota Iskandar on Sunday.

In a statement posted on Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar’s official Facebook page, Tunku Ismail said he takes a serious view of issues on pollution and mismanagement of water in the state.

He has urged the state government to start taking the necessary action to rehabilitate Johor’s waters and stamp out pollution.

Tunku Ismail also decreed that the state government should better manage its water resources and educate the public on proper water usage and awareness.

Malaysia: Johor expected not to depend on treated water supply from Singapore in 2022

Bernama 19 Aug 19;

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources expects Johor to no longer be dependent on the supply of treated water from Singapore by 2022, said its Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

He said the effort to reduce the dependency of treated water supply from Singapore was by ensuring treated water in Johor was sufficient.

“We have to make sure that Johor has sufficient treated water and does not need to get it from Singapore. Which is why we have to provide new water treatment plants in Johor.

“The capacity must reach 260 million litres a day. We already have an understanding that by the year 2022, we will have this capacity,” he told reporters after receiving a courtesy visit from Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal here today.

Malaysia, Johor: ‘Resolve polluted river problem’

The Star 17 Aug 19;

JOHOR BARU: Residents in Kampung Acheh, Pasir Gudang here are worried as the water in Sungai Kopok, which is an important source of livelihood for them, has turned black and is smelly.

The residents also claimed that the condition of Sungai Kopok, which is connected to Sungai Kim Kim and Sungai Daing and once home to shrimps and crabs, worsened following the chemical waste pollution of Sungai Kim Kim in March.

Village head Othman Adon said the 15km-long river was believed to be contaminated by waste discharged from nearby factories.

Malaysia: Pasir Gudang factories directed to install emission data monitoring equipment

Bernama New Straits Times 4 Aug 19;

JOHOR BARU: All factories in Pasir Gudang have been ordered to install special equipment to enable direct data monitoring of emissions from its chimneys over a 24-hour period.

Johor Environment Department (DoE) director Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaafar said the equipment must have the latest technology capable of providing data directly to the department for online monitoring.

“At the same time, we will also be on the ground (factories) to verify the emission data, meaning that the factories must also have a good record-keeping system for verification,” he said.

Malaysia: Three states yet to gazette water catchment areas

The Star 3 Aug 19;

PETALING JAYA: Three states – Johor, Perak and Penang have yet to gazette their forest reserve water catchment areas, says the Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry.The ministry pointed out that the catchment areas for the three states totalled 139, 290 acres (56, 370ha).

The National Land Council chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (pic) has asked for these state governments to take immediate action.

“The reason for gazetting is to preserve the source of water and the nation’s forest from being encroached upon and turned into development areas.

“It is a concern that these areas will be affected by development, which could undermine our forests and waters, ” it said in a statement.

Malaysia, Johor: 71 factories operating illegally in Pasir Gudang

REMAR NORDIN The Star 30 Jul 19;

PASIR GUDANG: The Johor government has identified 71 factories that are operating illegally within the Pasir Gudang Municipal Council’s jurisdiction, says a state exco member.

State Local Government, Urban Wellbeing and Environmental Committee chairman Tan Chen Choon said from the figure, eight had been recommended for legal action, 46 had been issued with notices, while two had been shut down.

“The rest of the factories are waiting for action from the Department of Environment.

“Eighteen of the illegal factories are also found to be operating on government-owned land, while four factories, which have the necessary licences, are also found to be operating on government land, ” he said.

Malaysia, Johor: Putrajaya probing early warning system that did not activate during Johor pollution

Channel NewsAsia 24 Jul 19;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government is reviewing an RM846 million (US$205 million) environment quality early warning system that failed to activate during a series of pollution incidents in Johor this year, environment minister Yeo Bee Yin said on Wednesday (Jul 24).

According to a Malay Mail report, the Environmental Quality Monitoring Programme (EQMP) did not alert authorities to the illegal dumping of toxic waste at Sungai Kim Kim in March as well as the more recent environmental incidents.

“The Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC) has since been reviewing the performance and efficiency of the system, the legal aspects, and renegotiating the terms of the agreement, with the possibility of early termination,” Ms Yeo was quoted as saying in the report.

“The hefty cost charged by the concessionaire makes up almost 30 per cent of Department of Environment’s (DoE) annual budget, depriving the department from critical expenditures on transportation, tools and most of all human development for enforcement activities,” she noted.

The nationwide EQMP is a public-private partnership project between the federal government and Pakar Scieno TW Sdn Bhd.

Malaysia: Govt agencies to discuss integrated efforts to fight river pollution in Johor

Bernama New Straits Times 24 Jul 19;

JOHOR BARU: Continued integrated efforts by government agencies to deal with river pollution are among the issues that will be discussed at the meeting of the State Permanent Committee on Environment on Sunday.

Johor Environment Department (DoE) director Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaafar said the department took a serious view of river pollution.

“What is important is integrated action by the various agencies to overcome river pollution,” he said when he was asked to comment on the worsening levels of pollution in at least 16 rivers in the districts of Johor Baru and Pasir Gudang.

The meeting will be chaired by state Local Government, Urban Well Being and Environment Committee chairman Tan Chen Choon.

Malaysia, Johor: Sungai Danga pollution not due to sewage plant

The Star 20 Jul 19;

JOHOR BARU: Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd (IWK) says its wastewater treatment activities are not to blame for recent reports of pollution in Sungai Danga.

IWK said the sewage treatment plants managed by IWK around Sungai Danga and the entire area under Iskandar Puteri Municipal Council (MPIP) are in good condition and comply with the standards stipulated by the Department Of Environment (DOE).

IWK also cooperates with regulatory bodies such as DOE, Drainage and Irrigation Department, National Water Services Commission, Johor Water Regulatory Body, MPIP and local authorities in relation to complaints that the water in Sungai Danga has turned black and emits a stench.

Malaysia, Johor: Call to protect buffer zones along riverbanks

zazali musa The Star 20 Jul 19;

JOHOR BARU: The state government is urged to take stern action against those found encroaching into the buffer zones on both sides of the riverbanks in Johor.

Green Earth Society Johor president P. Sivakumar said the 50m buffer zones should be free from human activities such as vegetable farming, commodity crops cultivation and sand mining.

He said the authorities should start looking at how bad the situation was along the riverbanks in the state, including at Sungai Johor as the river is the main source of raw water supply in the southern part of the state.

Malaysia, Johor: 3 factories identified as most likely sources of Pasir Gudang air pollution

Rizalman Hammim New Straits Times 18 Jul 19;

JOHOR BARU: The Environment Department (DoE) has identified three chemical-based factories as the most likely sources of the air pollution in Pasir Gudang last month.

DoE director-general Norlin Jaafar said the factories were found to have high levels of methyl mercaptan readings when the incident was first reported.

“The three factories were identified through a process of elimination following checks on all 257 chemical-based factories in Pasir Gudang,” she said.

“All of them are also located within a 3km radius of Sekolah Agama Taman Mawar and SK Pasir Gudang 4.”

Malaysia: Pasir Gudang pollution victims lodge police report

The Star 14 Jul 19;

JOHOR BARU (Bernama): More than 100 victims of the pollution in Pasir Gudang in March and June have lodged a police report here to urge the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation on the incidents.

Among the victims who lodged the reports were residents of Taman Pasir Putih, Kota Masai and Tanjung Puteri Resort.

The police report was made through the Resident Action Body On Environment Pollution Issues of Taman Pasir Putih at the Seri Alam Police Station at 11.11am Sunday (July 14).

Malaysia, Johor: DOE acting on river pollution complaints

The Star 11 Jul 19;

ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor Department Of Environment (DOE) has received eight complaints of pollution in a river in Ulu Tiram since last year.

Johor local government, urban well-being and environmental committee chairman Tan Chen Choon said following complaints about Sungai Kopok, the department carried out inspections.

“Among complaints received include the change in the colour of the river water, which turned darker and emitted a stench.

“There were also claims of dead fishes in the river,” he said in reply to S. Gopalakrishnan ( PH – Tiram) at the Johor state assembly at Bangunan Sultan Ismail in Kota Iskandar here.

Tan said initial investigations by the department found that the pollution was due to the discharge of industrial effluents from palm oil, oleochemical, biodiesel, soap-based and food-based companies in the area.

Malaysia: 26 investigation papers opened on illegal waste dumping in Johor

The Star 8 Jul 19;

JOHOR BARU (Bernama): The Johor Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) has opened 26 investigation papers for the illegal dumping of solid waste since 2018.

Its director Cairul Hisham Jalaluddin said 12 companies had been charged, including three as of Monday (July 8).

"We are completing the investigation papers against the remaining 14 companies," he told reporters when met at the Sessions Court here.

On the cases that were brought to court today, he said three companies were involved, adding that all pleaded guilty to the charges and were fined a total of RM45,000.

Air and water quality in Singapore not affected by Pasir Gudang pollution: Masagos

Amir Yusof Channel NewsAsia 8 Jul 19;

SINGAPORE: The air and water quality in Singapore have not been affected by the recent pollution incidents in Pasir Gudang, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said in Parliament on Monday (Jul 8).

He was responding to a question from Member of Parliament (MP) for Tanjong Pagar Melvin Yong on whether Singapore has been impacted by the pollution given its close proximity, and if authorities are monitoring developments closely.

Since Jun 20, more than 1,000 schoolchildren in Pasir Gudang have experienced breathing problems and nausea. Malaysian authorities are still trying to determine the source of the pollution.

All schools in the area were ordered to close from Jun 25 for three days, but students displayed similar symptoms hours after the schools reopened. On Sunday (Jul 7), at least 11 students at four Pasir Gudang schools were reported to have suffered headaches, nausea and vomiting.

Mr Masagos confirmed that, so far, no toxic chemicals have been detected within Singapore as a result of the incidents in Johor.

Malaysia: Johor DOE receives eight complaints over pollution at Sg Kopok

The Star 7 Jul 19;

ISKANDAR PUTERI (Bernama): The Johor Environment Department (DOE) has received eight complaints over pollution at Sungai Kopok, Ulu Tiram since 2018.

State Local Government, Urban Well-being and Environment Committee chairman Tan Chen Choon said the complaints were on its foul smell and dark colour, and incidents of dead fishes in the river.

He said investigations were carried out following the complaints and it was found that the pollution was caused by the discharge of industrial effluents with high organic load, especially from palm oil-based operations such as oleochemicals, and soap-based operations, biodiesel as well as food-based manufacturing.

"Although the plants are equipped with effluent treatment facilities, there are a few that have been negligent in controlling discharge of effluents from their premises.

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