MELAKA: Livestock breeders and fishermen in Bukit Rambai here want the Melaka Environment Department (DOE) to conduct an in-depth investigation into the source of pollution that caused the waterway at Sungai Lereh to turn dark.
Cattle farmer Lim Kah Seng, 32, said it was impossible for the dung to flow into the river as his farm at Kampung Berlian was located 6km away from the riverbank.
“We have been in the cattle farming business for about three decades and this was the first time that the pollution was blamed on livestock droppings,” he said when met here on Monday (Feb 20).
Lim said he had abided by DOE’s guidelines by constructing a pond for the purpose of dumping cattle sewage.
“The reason and source of the river pollution should be investigated as I am sure that the farm sewage was not the cause,” he said, adding that his farm had about 100 cows.
Another farmer, Mohd Razali Zakaria, 42, also doubted that the cattle and goat sewage had caused the pollution.
He said the relevant authorities should first find out the actual cause for the pollution before blaming the livestock farmers.
Fisherman Zainuddin Alwi, 52, said the pollution has also caused difficulties to fishermen in the area.
“We need some sort of remedial measures as similar situations had occurred before,” he said.
A local councillor from Melaka Historical City Council (MBMB) Mohamad Abdul Rahman said there are only three cattle farmers within the identified areas with a total population of 133 cows.
“I am strongly against any attempts to level the blame on the farmers as the main cause for the river contamination,”he said.
On Sunday (Feb 19), Melaka housing, local government and environment committee chairman Datuk Zaidi Attan said an initial investigation by the state DOE found that livestock droppings from a nearby farm had likely polluted the river.
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