SHAH ALAM – Conventional methods of pig farming and pollution control have been identified as the cause of water pollution faced by the residents of Tg Sepat in Kuala Langat, near here.
State Tourism, Environment, Green Technology, and Orang Asli Affairs executive councillor Hee Loy Sian said a visit to several pig farms in Tg Sepat on September 23 found that farm operators were not using closed-house systems, such as the Modern Pig Farming method.
As for sewage management, he said livestock excrement was collected in reservoirs inside the premises, causing the effluent to be discharged into drains and coastal waters.
“As such, the Veterinary Services Department will instruct all operators involved to carry out cleaning and maintenance work on livestock farms and sewage systems immediately.
“Livestock excrement also needs to be disposed of outside the farm area and sent to authorised disposal sites,” he said in a statement today.
He was responding to a report by a local newspaper that pig farming activities in the area had caused residents to face odour pollution and water drainage problems for almost 30 years.
Elaborating, Hee said the Selangor Water Management Authority would also instruct the relevant landowners to immediately carry out works to improve their drainage systems and conduct water quality sampling, adding that legal action will be taken if any element of pollution is later found.
“For the long-term measures, I will hold further discussions with the state Infrastructure, Public Amenities, Agriculture Modernisation, and Agro-Based Industry Committee chairman Izham Hashim to organise a dialogue session with associations and all pig farm operators in Selangor.
“The VSD will coordinate planning and streamline the management of livestock operations with related farm operators. The main goal is to have systematic sewage management which does not pollute nearby water sources,” he said.
Hee said that based on VSD records, there are 118 active pig farms in Kuala Langat district and a small part in Sepang district.
“These farming activities are run on plots of land with agricultural status. All these premises operate with licences registered by the VSD,” he said. – Bernama, September 28, 2022
