Two odour pollution victims in Johor still in hospital

JOHOR BARU: Two people who suffered discomfort and symptoms due to the odour pollution that took place in Johor in the past few days are being treated at the hospital, says Ling Tian Soon.

The state health and environment committee chairman said that 47 people were said to have experienced discomfort or mild symptoms on Monday and Tuesday due to the pollution.

“Children and adults were affected; 10 of them sought treatment at government and private clinics.

“Among the 10, three have been warded at Hospital Sultanah Aminah and Hospital Sultan Ismail.

“As of today, two of them remain warded for continued observation,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Earlier, Ling said the state government, via the Johor Baru district disaster management committee and relevant agencies, is continuously monitoring the situation.

Various locations in Johor have reported a spate of odour pollution incidents since Sept 3. They included Pandan, Skudai and Tebrau in Johor Baru, as well as Kampung Orang Asli Pasir Intan in Kota Tinggi.

This led to people experiencing symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath and fever.

Ling had said Tiong Nam Industrial Park and Desa Tropika Industrial Area were identified as the source of the pollution and clean-up works were underway.

The clean-up and disposal of the illegally-dumped chemical waste at the two locations are slated to be complete by Sept 22.

The police also arrested a lorry driver and his assistant on Tuesday on suspicion of involvement in the odour pollution that had also led to the temporary closure of three schools.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported Ling as urging the public not to panic during the scheduled waste cleaning and disposal period in the area.

In a statement yesterday, he advised the public not to enter or be in the area of the incident or carry out any activities near the Sungai Tebrau and Sungai Plentong areas.

“Those who may be exposed to related chemical residues are also advised to shower and wash their clothes separately to avoid exposure through the skin,” he said.

According to Ling, the state government investigated the case in accordance with Section 34B of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 and condemned the actions of parties who clearly took shortcuts in disposing of scheduled waste illegally.

Those found guilty face mandatory imprisonment and a maximum fine of RM10mil.

The public can contact the Johor Environment Department at 1-800-88-2727 or the operations room of the Disaster Operations Control Centre in Johor Baru at 07-220 0604 for any information on environmental pollution.