BUTTERWORTH – Penang suspects commercial ships are the “litter culprits” behind waste accumulating at Sg Muda, after it was allegedly dumped indiscriminately into international waters and brought by the waves to the river.
State exco for environment Phee Boon Poh said there are suspicions but the authorities have yet to pinpoint the culprits because the dumping allegedly happens in international waters.
“We did not have the hindsight to have satellites but some raw intelligence suggests that the culprits are ships. We define it as marine litter, and some of it has been swept into Sg Muda.”
He told The Vibes that Penang has been working with Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM) marine research centre to collect the waste and data to help drive future policies on coastline protection.
“What we do is collect data during the annual beach clean-up day on the type of waste (mostly plastics) and send it to USM to be compiled. We hope more people will volunteer to help us collect marine litter.”
Marine litter is defined as items that have been made or used by people and discarded into the sea or rivers or on beaches.
The litter usually accumulates in the open seas to become drift waste.
The state is also contemplating seeking the help of the marine police and maritime enforcement agency to deploy drones to monitor activities in the shipping line, in view of Penang Port being a regional logistic hub.
Phee was responding to the statement by Consumers Association of Penang (CAP), whose president Mohideen Abdul Kader urged relevant authorities to clean up the waste in Sg Muda near the Permatang Bendahari point at Kepala Batas.
CAP’s survey found piles of materials, especially plastic containers, floating on the surface of the river, which it said was especially worrying given that Sg Muda is the main source of raw water for people in Kedah and Penang.
It added that it will also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and toxic compounds can leach into the water.
Sg Muda is also at the centre of controversy after Kedah demanded up to RM100 million in annual compensation from Penang for preserving the Ulu Muda water catchment area, which the river originates from.
The Penang Port Commission could not be reached for comment. – The Vibes, December 10, 2021
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