The Big Read: To build a strong water-saving culture, S'pore needs more than recycled messages

NAVENE ELANGOVAN Today Online 16 Mar 19;

SINGAPORE — Five families roughed it out at Marina Reservoir by surviving on only five litres of water for 12 hours on a cold night on March 1. They were participating in a water-rationing camp run by outdoor recreations company Better Trails.

The camp, which was supported by PUB, was one of several initiatives for the agency's latest water-saving campaign, “Make Every Drop Count”.

Launched on March 2 as part of Singapore World Water Day, it will run for an entire year, making it one of its biggest and longest to date. Previous editions in recent years had lasted a month at most.

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Malaysia: DoE finds waste dumping site

lo tern chern The Star 17 Mar 19;

BUKIT MERTAJAM: While work is underway to clear Sungai Kim Kim in Johor, another case of illegal chemical waste dumping may have been detected deep inside an oil palm estate in Bukit Teh near here.

Located behind a scrapyard and far from the public eye lies approximately 15 barrels of dark pungent liquid.

The Department of Environment (DoE) visited the site after a report was lodged and the site has now been covered with silver metallic sheets.

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Malaysia: Chemical waste pollution in Sg Kim Kim affects livelihood of fishermen

The Star 17 Mar 19;

JOHOR BARU (Bernama): The chemical waste pollution in Pasir Gudang, since March 7, has not only affected the health of people around the region but has led to a decline in catch and fishermen's sales to drop.

South Johor Fishermen's Association chairman, Azli Mohamad Aziz said 650 members of the association from several villages claimed their sales revenue had dropped by 50% over the last 10 days since the incident..

"The pollution has affected 250 fishermen from four villages around Sungai Kim Kim, namely orang asli fisherman from Telok Kabung, Kampung Perigi Aceh, Kampung Pasir Putih and Kampung Pasir Gudang Baru, to whom the river was a source of income," he said when met at the Kampung Pasir Gudang Baru fishermen's market, here Saturday (March 16).

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Malaysia: Schools in Pasir Gudang still closed

Bernama New Straits Times 16 Mar 19;

BANTING: The Education Ministry confirms that 111 schools in the Pasir Gudang district were still closed due to the toxic pollution from the dumping of chemicals into Sungai Kim Kim.

Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said the schools concerned would be reopened at a date to be announced later.

"We look at the situation first. We don’t have a date for the reopening of the schools," he told reporters after officiating the Private Education Open Day at MAHSA University, here, today.

On Wednesday, the ministry directed 111 schools in Pasir Gudang closed following the toxic pollution based on the current situation and feedback from the State Disaster Management Committee.

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Punggol, Yishun residents complain of 'strange smells'

Derek Wong Straits Times 16 Mar 19;

Residents in Punggol and Yishun have complained of strange smells amid reports that a chemical spill in Pasir Gudang, Johor, has left more than 3,000 people feeling sick after inhaling the noxious fumes.

According to the Chinese-language Shin Min Daily News, some residents in Punggol experienced giddiness and nausea as a result of the smell.

Punggol resident Lin Zhi Long, 35, told the newspaper that while the industrial activity nearby sometimes gives rise to certain smells, the stench in the past two days was different. However, he said it was hard to tell whether the smell resulted from the toxic spill in Johor.

On Wednesday, Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah said in a Facebook post that residents in Yishun had complained of a urine stench in the area.

"I checked with NEA (National Environment Agency). NEA said this is likely from Johor," she wrote.

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Expect more warm weather until late March: Met Service

Channel NewsAsia 15 Mar 19;

SINGAPORE: The scorching heat that has prevailed over Singapore is forecast to persist for another week, said the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) on Friday (Mar 15).

Some relief can be expected in the last week of the month, in the form of short-term thundery showers on most days in the afternoon, it added.

One or two mornings may see widespread thundery showers with occasional gusty winds and on several days, the rain could extend into the evening.

However, total rainfall for the month is "still likely to be well below normal", said MSS.

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Malaysia: Another 780 people affected, with 113 warded in Pasir Gudang chemical crisis

mohd farhaan shah The Star 15 Mar 19;

PASIR GUDANG: A total of 780 new cases have been registered at the medic base at the Pasir Gudang Indoor Stadium as of 12am on Thursday (March 14), bringing the total number of people affected by the chemical pollution here to 3,555 cases.

However, Johor Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee chairman Dr Sahruddin Jamal said only 202 individuals received further treatment at hospitals, with 113 warded.

He said many who were hospitalised earlier had been discharged.

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Malaysia: Fire and Rescue Dept has stationed 133 Hazmat personnel in Pasir Gudang

The Star 15 Mar 19;

KOTA BARU (Bernama): The Hazardous Materials Unit (Hazmat) of the Fire and Rescue Department (JPBM) has stationed 133 personnel at the polluted area in Pasir Gudang, Johor, to monitor air quality and to advise the state disaster management committee accordingly, says Bomba director-general Datuk Mohammad Hamdan Wahid.

He said the personnel had been stationed at the location since March 7, the first day the dumping of chemical waste into Sungai Kim Kim in Pasir Gudang was reported.

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Malaysia: Portion of Sungai Klang polluted by unidentified chemical substance

Dawn Chan New Straits Times 14 Mar 19;

KLANG: A portion of Sungai Klang has been found to be polluted by a chemical substance that has yet to be identified and the authorities believe it was dumped by irresponsible parties earlier today.

Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) director Datuk Hashim Osman said the affected part of the river was confined to a stretch near Taman Eng Ann in Klang.

He said the pollutant was detected following complaints made by the public to Luas at about 6pm.

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Malaysia: Sungai Raja Hitam falls under Class Four, needs extensive treatment

Zahratulhayat Mat Arif New Straits Times 15 Mar 19;

IPOH: Sungai Raja Hitam in Manjung has been categorised under Class Four in river water quality and needs extensive treatment.

Perak Environmental Department director Norazizi Adinan said this happened due to the location of Sungai Raja Hitam which was located about six kilometres from a oil palm factory there.

“We are always taking river samples to the Chemistry Department for analysis, besides frequent monitoring at the factory.

“In February this year, the court imposed RM4,000 fine and the factory has learnt from its mistakes. Several initiatives have been taken to improve their services,” he said when met at his office in Bangunan Seri Kinta here today.

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Indonesia: Police name four suspects in Dumai forest fires

The Jakarta Post 15 Mar 19;

The Dumai Police in Riau have named four suspects in separate forest and land fires that have blanketed the city with haze.

“Three of the suspects were arrested in West Dumai district, while the other one was arrested in Medang Kampai district,” Dumai Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Restika Nainggolan said on Thursday as quoted by kompas.com.

He added the police had handed over one of the cases to prosecutors, although the police chief did not specify which suspect. Meanwhile, the investigators were still investigating the other three cases.

“All four are suspected of clearing land by burning it. The fire spread to other areas,” Restika said.

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Indonesia: Smuggler arrested in Papua with over 2,000 endangered turtles

Agence France-Presse Jakarta Post 15 Mar 19;

A man has been arrested for trying to smuggle 2,000 endangered pig-nosed turtles, police said, marking the latest wildlife-trafficking arrest as the Southeast Asian nation battles the vast trade.

Authorities in Papua province said they seized 2,227 of the palm-sized turtles which were stuffed into boxes on a boat docked in the remote town of Agats.

"Officers saw a port worker carrying three big boxes and got suspicious," Papua police spokesman Ahmad Musthofa Kamal said late Thursday.

"This is protected species and they are not for sale."

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