Penang to probe illegal dumpsite next to airport

 

An old shack by the side of the ditch next to the Penang airport runway.

GEORGE TOWN: Penang today said it would investigate the massive dumping of rubbish at a ditch next to the airport runway in Batu Maung, following recent media reports on the matter.

State Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said despite a partial cleanup by the city council just two days ago, workers found more waste had been dumped there since.

The 2km-long ditch, called Sungai Nipah by nearby residents, lies on the east side of the runway near Kampung Naran. Nearly a tonne of rubbish has been sieved by council contractors from the polluted waters.

The ditch is connected to Sungai Kelian, which empties into the Straits of Melaka in the east. Aerial pictures show polluted waters flowing from the ditch into the river and ending up at the river mouth.

According to Phee, the state environment department had looked at the area and said it was not under its jurisdiction as there were no effluents or foul water being discharged into the ditch.

Phee said, however, the department had taken samples from the river to determine its quality levels, and had forwarded them to the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID).

“This is with regard to the domestic waste that had been dumped there and to get the status of the light industrial area that is coming up near the site,” he told FMT.

Exco member Halim Hussain, who is the assemblyman for the area, said some foaming had been observed at Sungai Keluang as a result of the polluted waters coming from the dumpsite at Sungai Nipah.

Rubbish thrown into the ditch, called Sungai Nipah by the residents nearby.

He said fines would be issued to recyclers found to be dumping rubbish into the river, as there were four recycling companies in the area, with the DID having issued them notices since 2018.

“A contractor had recently cleared rubbish from the area only to find more rubbish being dumped there a day later,” Halim said.

Phee said some of these companies were occupying state land on a temporary occupation licence (TOL) which ought to be rescinded right away.

The cleaning contractors met by FMT on Wednesday morning said over 500kg of rubbish had been cleared from the ditch. Hundreds of empty liquor bottles and loads of household waste and oily substances were spotted in it. - FMT