MELAKA: The water in Sungai Ayer Salak in Klebang here has turned black from oil pollution, believed to be discharge from a nearby industrial area.
Klebang assemblyman Datuk Lim Ban Hong said the culprits must be identified and punitive action taken against them.
"Untreated industrial effluent was discharged directly into a flood retention pond in the Bukit Rambai industrial area before flowing into Sungai Ayer Salak," he said on Tuesday (Feb 3).
He said this had disrupted the lives of the surrounding communities for the past three weeks, especially farmers who depend on the river for irrigation, as well as residents living nearby, adding there were about 1,000 residents from four villages in Bukit Rambai.
The contamination has affected a 10km-stretch of the river.
Water in several tributaries flowing into Sungai Ayer Salak and Sungai Malim, which emptyies into the river mouth at the Klebang Besar fishermen's jetty, has turned dark and emits a strong smell of oil.
