PETALING JAYA: Air Selangor’s move to shut down four water treatment plants in Selangor from Tuesday, which led to disruption in seven districts in the Klang Valley, was the right thing to do, says the National Water Services Commission (SPAN).
SPAN chairman Charles Santiago said that the water supply operator’s prompt action was necessary to ensure polluted water did not reach consumers.
“We shouldn’t jump on Air Selangor for closing down the water treatment plants. Otherwise, the polluted water would reach consumers,” he said when contacted.
He stressed that the Water and Irrigation Department (JPS) and the Selangor Water Management Board (Luas) should be responsible for monitoring and managing rivers.
“The Environment Department (DOE) is responsible for the waste and the local council is in charge of the licensing including monitoring,” he added.
Selayang Municipal Council president Shahman Jalaludin told The Star that the factory responsible for the odour pollution, which resulted in thousands losing access to water from Tuesday, was caused by negligence and has had its licence suspended for seven days.
He said the owner, who is a first-time offender, had also been issued a RM1,000 compound for discharging effluents improperly.
“The owner has been instructed to clean up the discharge before we can allow them to operate.
“This was caused by their carelessness as the substance had leaked out from a broken tank on the premises,” he said yesterday.
Fomca president Datuk Dr Marimuthu Nadason has slammed the stakeholders involved in water supply and demanded greater accountability.
Marimuthu said all three parties – SPAN, Air Selangor and Luas – should stop pointing the finger at each other over the matter.
“You are entrusted to carry out this responsibility yet this is still happening,” he said.
He added that stricter penalties had to be imposed against perpetrators.
“What is a RM1,000 fine to them? There has to be more, perhaps the penalty of jail term to make people take this seriously,” he said.
Sahabat Alam president Meenakshi Raman agreed that the low fine would not deter pollution.
She said that more training and education should be provided to officers to realise that the offences were serious environmental crimes.
“Otherwise, (the fines were) a mere slap on the wrist and it does nothing for the environment,” she said.
