Factory, farm shut down over ammonia in Sungai Johor

KOTA ISKANDAR: A poultry farm and a chicken manure processing factory in Layang-Layang have been ordered to stop operating after high ammonia content in Sungai Johor caused a shutdown of water supply to some 1.8 million consumers last week.

The factory was also responsible for the high ammonia found in the same river in December last year and in August.

State Works, Rural and Regional Development committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said in the latest incident, authorities had to shut down operations at three water treatment plants – Semanggar, Sungai Johor and PUB Tai Hong, which processed raw water from Sg Johor.

Hasni said both the farm and the factory were believed to be owned by the same person, who had requested for a change in land status. Following the latest incident, that application has been cancelled.

Authorities, he said, would also be issuing a compound of up to RM250,000 or a fine of RM500,000 against each premise.

Johor Agriculture, Agro-based Industry, Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development committee chairman Ismail Mohamed said the farm had been operating for over 20 years.

“I have visited the farm and it is able to produce over 40 tonnes of chicken manure daily,” he said, adding both the farm and the factory were located about 900m from each other.