SEBERANG PRAI – More than 10 unlicensed factories are believed to be operating on agricultural land in the Juru estate here, after the operators of one were hauled up for allegedly polluting Sg Jawi.
Checks by The Vibes found that a few hectares along Jalan Kebun Baru have been turned into an “industrial area” despite the land being classified as being for “Conservation, Preservation and Agriculture” use under the Penang Structure Plan 2030 (PSP 2030).
PSP 2030, which was gazetted on October 24 last year, is in line with provisions under Section 11(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172).
According to the map in PSP 2030, almost half of the Juru area is classified as agricultural land, and there are no plans for the land to be converted for development or industrialisation.
According to a 2012 news report, Juru was once proposed as the site of an Agro Technology Park, but this has yet to be implemented.
A resident, who wanted to be known only as Ahmad, said locals are aware of the existence of several factories in the area, believed to have been operating for close to 10 years.
“We all know there are many factories there, but we cannot do anything about it. They also provide a living for us. Some of the villagers work there.”
Some of them are believed to be furniture, food processing, electronics and recycling factories.
Ahmad said he does not know how these facilities manage their waste as they are operating without a licence.
“I do not know, but I’ve noticed that the water in the ditches and rivers here is not as clean as before. It is black and dirty.”
Last week, The Vibes reported that a Juru factory is believed to be dumping waste into Sg Jawi, affecting the lives of local fishermen.
This led to a raid on the facility by the Seberang Prai City Council, police and state Environment Department on Monday.
The authorities did not shut down the factory, instead saying operators have applied to rezone the land from agriculture to industrial.
According to Section 52 of the National Land Code 1965, all land allocated by the government is divided into three categories: agriculture, development and industrial.
The Vibes is attempting to get comments from Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who also holds the land, economy and communications portfolios. – The Vibes, November 20, 2020
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