TAIPING: Mentri Besar Inc (MB Inc) of Perak has issued a directive to an operator to temporarily stop work at a quarry following complaints of polluted water sources faced by the Orang Asli villagers of Kampung Kelatap, Pos Perwor, near Sungai Siput.
Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the notice was issued by MB Inc on Jan 12 to ensure that restoration work was carried out immediately.
“This includes levelling the land in the area that has been opened as well as building a dam to prevent water there from flowing into the water catchment area.
“This work has been carried out from Jan 13 until today (yesterday) by the operator of the project,” he told a press conference after launching Taiping Town’s 150th Anniversary Celebration here yesterday.
He said an investigation found that the pollution occurred due to the opening of land for a sediment pond, as well as the release of waste from a septic tank that did not follow the specifications set out in the approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment.
“The investigation was carried out by the Orang Asli Development Department and MB Inc.“From the information obtained, we admit that the pollution occurred as a result of these two factors,” he said.
Saarani added that approval for the project that began last September followed the relevant technical agencies’ approval, Bernama reported.
“We hope all restoration works can be carried out as best as possible. Most importantly, the Orang Asli in the area will be able to get clean water again,” he said.
On Friday, over 100 Orang Asli residents of Kampung Kelatap, Pos Perwor, near Sungai Siput, issued a statement about their unhappiness over the threat of diseases as their water source had allegedly been polluted due to the quarry project.
They claimed that for more than two years, the residents have been using water contaminated with waste from a toilet at the workers’ quarters at the site.
