SEPANG – Police have called the owner of a machinery factory premises to assist in the investigation into the diesel odour pollution incident at the Sg Semenyih Water Treatment Plant (WTP) in Jenderam Hilir, Dengkil here, yesterday.
Sepang deputy police chief Md Noor Aehwan Mohammad said investigation papers were opened after receiving a report from an Air Selangor Sdn Bhd employee at 8.58am on the incident of foul odour at Sg Semenyih WTP water intake point in Jenderam Hilir.
He said the inspection by the complainant detected suspected pollutants in the water inlet that flowed into Sg Semenyih.
According to Noor Aehwan, authorities such as Air Selangor, Lembaga Urus Air Selangor (Luas) and the National Water Services Commission have investigated the scene and suspected pollution coming from a factory.
Follow-up investigations by Luas, Air Selangor and police at factory premises did not find any effluent discharge, but there was an underground stream suspected of channelling waste that appeared like oil, he said in a statement today.
Noor Aehwan said the Forensic Unit of the Selangor contingent police headquarters had taken five water samples as mentioned by the complainant at the WTP intake point and from the suspected factory premises.
“The sample taken by the complainant was also handed over to the investigating officer for comparison. All samples were sent to the Chemistry Department for further action,” he said.
Noor Aehwan said the complainant was the first individual to detect the foul odour.
According to him, the owner of the premises claimed his premises did not discharge effluent into Sg Semenyih as the premises had a filter to treat the waste before being channelled into the culvert outside the premises.
He said the case was investigated under Section 430 of the Penal Code for allegedly committing mischief by causing a disruption in the supply of water for agriculture and consumption by consumers.
Water Supply in 463 areas in five districts namely Petaling, Hulu Langat, Sepang, Putrajaya and Kuala Langat experienced water supply disruption yesterday after Air Selangor detected diesel odour pollution in Sg Semenyih.
According to Air Selangor, the water supply in all affected areas is expected to be fully restored at 11.30pm tonight.
Yesterday, Selangor Tourism and Environment Committee chairman Hee Loy Sian reportedly said the Sepang Municipal Council would seal the factory premises carrying out maintenance of heavy machinery for allegedly causing the pollution. – Bernama, December 17, 2021
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