Two factory workers remanded over river pollution

The Selayang Magistrate's Court today ordered two factory workers to be remanded for six days for investigation into the pollution of a river by discharged effluents that disrupted piped water supply to 1.2 million people over the past four days.

Magistrate Nik Mohd Fadli Nik Azlan issued the remand order against the two men, aged 20 and 57, over the pollution of Sungai Gong in Rawang.

Sungai Gong is a tributary of Sungai Sembah which flows into Sungai Selangor that supplies water to four treatment plants which had to be shut down once the pollution was detected on Sept 3.

The two men were brought to the Selayang Courts Complex at 9.15am today. They were arrested at a premises in Jalan Batu Arang, Rawang, yesterday.

They are being held for investigation in accordance with Section 430 of the Penal Code for allegedly committing mischief by causing a diminution in the supply of water for agricultural purposes, or for food or drink for human beings or for animals.

The section provides for a jail term of between five and 30 years or a fine, or both, upon conviction.

On Sept 5, four factory managers, all brothers aged between 50 and 60, were remanded for six days up to Thursday over the same issue.

The shutdown of the four treatment plants, namely Sungai Selangor Water Treatment Plants 1, 2 and 3 and the Rantau Panjang Water Treatment Plant, disrupted piped water supply to 1,292 areas in several Klang Valley districts.

- Bernama