Selangor dismisses road accident factor in Sungai Buah pollution

A file picture of Azmin at looking at the polluted Sungai Buah after its waters were diverted away from Sungai Semenyih, along which the water treatment plant is located.

SHAH ALAM: Selangor has refuted the possibility that spillage from road accidents caused the pollution in Sungai Buah in Negri Sembilan last week.

Selangor state exco for tourism, environment, green technology and consumer affairs Elizabeth Wong (PKR-Bukit Lanjan), in her debate speech for the state 2017 budget, revealed that the two road accidents said to have caused it took place about a kilometre away from the river's point of pollution.

"The accidents happened at KM46.2 northbound towards Shah Alam and KM46.4 on Elite Highway towards Kuala Lumpur at the exit to the North-South Expressway respectively.

"The ground zero of the pollution is at KM45.9 of the Elite Highway, on a slope near a columbarium in Nilai.

"We received the initial report last week that the spillage was identified as glycerine – an odourless, non-toxic liquid.

"So it is very unlikely for the accidents to be the cause of pollution," she said here Thursday, in reply to an additional question by Sulaiman Abd Razak (BN-Permatang)

On Oct 26, Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan said that a technical report on Hulu Sungai Buah in Negri Sembilan showed no signs of pollution, which caused the closure of the Sungai Semenyih water treatment plant.

He said the report by the Environment Department, Drainage and Irrigation Department, Forestry Department, State Water Regulatory Authority and Nilai Municipal Council showed no elements of pollution in the areas involved, except for an overturned lorry tanker as a possible cause.

Sulaiman then questioned why the police report lodged by the Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) did not allege sabotage as the cause and only identified the spillage at the site.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali (PKR-Bukit Antarabangsa) then said it was the police's responsibility to conduct a comprehensive investigation whenever a report was lodged.

"It is up to the police to find out if the incident was caused by industrial factory, illegal activities or sabotage.

"The report is only to inform the police that Sungai Buah was polluted and police will investigate from all angles," he said.