The dumping ground extends to the banks of Sungai Muda in Kedah.

SUNGAI PETANI: A dumping ground of mostly electronic waste (e-waste) close to the size of six football fields has been uncovered on the banks of Sungai Muda – the primary source of water for close to three million people in Kedah and Penang – here.

The 2ha site at Kampung Kemumbung in Sidam Kiri, located on former sand mining land on the edge of the river, is hidden from view by a small oil palm estate. It is about 20km southeast of Sungai Petani town.

An aerial view of Sungai Muda reveals a sea of waste stretching right to the edge of the river.

Checks at the site showed electronic waste originating from as far as Austria and other European countries, and high-end chemicals from India and municipal waste from Japan and Asean countries.

The dumping ground is hidden from view by an oil palm estate. (Sahabat Alam Malaysia pic.)

Among them are plastic parts similar to the ones found at Pinang Tunggal in Sungai Petani recently, and bags of plastic fillers, called Durethan, with burn marks on them.

It appears that scavengers may have set fire to some of these parts to extract metals from them.

Circuit boards, wires and other computer parts are also strewn all over the dumping ground.

A visit with the protem members of Persatuan Tindakan Alam Sekitar (PTAS) Sungai Petani today showed the dumping ground may have been in existence for several years.

Members of the environmental action group said villagers had complained to the authorities, including the Sungai Petani Municipal Council, but no action had been taken.

Electronic waste, including circuit boards and computer parts, found at the dumping group. (Sahabat Alam Malaysia pic.)

PTAS spokesperson Lydia Ong said a major concern was that water from the river was treated for human consumption besides being used to irrigate padi fields along the river and beyond.

She said several water intakes were placed downstream from the river, which would later be treated and supplied to consumers in Kedah and Penang.

Penang draws water from its side of Sungai Muda in the west. Kampung Kemumbung, where the dumping ground is located, is 10km away from Pinang Tunggal, where Penang Water Supply Corporation’s water intake is located.

“I am worried that this dumping ground could have affected the water of Sungai Muda. The Drainage and Irrigation Department’s rule is that there must be a 500m buffer zone at the rivers. This is a clear encroachment.

Snapshots from Google Earth show the clearing for the dumping site in (from left) 2013, 2015 and 2018.

She said members of the association had spoken to many villagers who claimed the dumping had been going on for as long as 10 years.

“For the dumping to be going on for more than 10 years and the authorities not doing anything is unacceptable,” she said.

Checks by FMT on Google Earth showed the site was first cleared in 2013, then in 2015 and finally, next to the river, in 2018.

Calculations on Google Earth also showed that the land clearing and dumping ground measured about 2ha.

FMT has contacted the Kedah government for comment and is awaiting a reply.

SEKURANG-KURANGNYA 30 lori membawa muatan sampah memasuki Kampung Kemumbung, Sidam Kiri, Sungai Petani, setiap hari bagi melupuskan sisa sampah di satu kawasan di kampung berkenaan.

Setiap lori hanya dikenakan bayaran serendah RM20 untuk membuang pelbagai jenis sampah di kawasan di tepi Sungai Muda itu.

Demikian situasi didakwa dihadapi penduduk kampung berkenaan apabila terpaksa hidup dalam keadaan tidak selesa sejak lebih 10 tahun lalu berikutan masalah longgokan sampah di kampung mereka.

Lebih membimbangkan, mereka mendakwa sisa plastik dari kilang dilihat sudah mula dibuang di kawasan berkenaan sehingga menghasilkan habuk dan bau kurang menyenangkan.

Penduduk, Mat Isa Othman 60, mendakwa kegiatan melupuskan sampah itu dikesan sejak 2008, apabila salah seorang penduduk kampung membenarkan tanah miliknya dijadikan kawasan longgokan sampah dari luar.

“Awalnya, hanya sisa pembinaan seperti kayu, batu dan sebagainya dilonggokkan di kawasan terbabit, namun kini pelbagai sisa termasuk sisa kilang sudah mula dibuang di situ.

“Penduduk kampung terpaksa berhadapan dengan masalah habuk dan bau busuk seperti bau wayar terbakar setiap hari dan ia datang dari longgokan sampah sarap itu,” katanya ketika ditemui, hari ini.

Penduduk lain, Ajis Ahmad, 40, mendakwa, beberapa laporan sudah dilakukan kepada pihak berkuasa seperti Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS) dan Majlis Perbandaran Sungai Petani Kedah (MPSPK) berhubung masalah itu, namun sehingga kini tiada jalan penyelesaian dibuat.

“Pihak berkuasa ada datang berjumpa penduduk kampung dan melihat sendiri lokasi longgokan sampah ini, tetapi kami lihat tiada perubahan dilakukan.

“Malah, kegiatan melonggokkan sampah di kawasan ini semakin aktif sehingga menyebabkan terdapat sebahagiannya jatuh ke dalam Sungai Muda yang berada di tepi kawasan sampah itu,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Pengerusi Persatuan Tindakan Alam Sekitar (PTAS) Sungai Petani, Lydia Ong yang mengadakan lawatan ke tempat berkenaan kesal apabila tiada tindakan tegas dilakukan pihak berkuasa terhadap masalah dihadapi penduduk sejak sekian lama itu.

“Difahamkan beberapa kilang dari sekitar Sungai Petani dan Kulim menjadikan lokasi ini sebagai tempat pembuangan sisa kilang mereka.

“Sepatutnya kawasan longgokan sampah perlu berada sekurang-kurang 500 meter dari sungai, bagaimanapun kegiatan ini dilakukan betul-betul di tepi sungai,” katanya.

Lydia berkata, pihaknya meminta supaya pihak berkuasa memandang serius isu berkenaan memandangkan kawasan itu berada di tepi Sungai Muda yang menjadi sumber air bagi penduduk Pulau Pinang dan punca pengairan bagi penanaman padi di Kedah.

Sementara itu, kerajaan negeri melalui agensi berkaitan akan menjalankan siasatan segera berhubung masalah longgokan sampah berkenaan.

Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Hal Ehwal Masyarakat Cina dan Siam, Sains dan Teknologi, Perubahan Iklim dan Alam Sekitar negeri, Simon Oii, berkata, siasatan terperinci akan dilakukan termasuk mengenal pasti pemilik tanah di kawasan itu sebelum tindakan undang-undang diambil.

“Saya agak terkejut apabila dimaklumkan masalah ini sudah berlarutan sejak lebih 10 tahun lalu.

“Kita akan melakukan siasatan untuk mengetahui pemilikan tanah di kawasan itu sama ada berlaku salah guna tanah dan mengenal pasti pihak yang membuang sampah di kawasan ini,” katanya ketika dihubungi.

Simon berkata, sekiranya didapati tanah berkenaan milik persendirian, tindakan akan dikenakan terhadap pemilik tanah kerana menjalankan kegiatan pelupusan sampah tanpa lesen.

Beliau berkata, pemilik tanah berkenaan tidak boleh menguruskan sisa sampah kerana dia bukan syarikat mempunyai lesen untuk mengambil sisa daripada orang lain.

“Ini adalah satu kesalahan dan kita boleh ambil tindakan ke atas pemilik tanah serta orang yang membuang sampah di situ,” katanya.Artikel ini disiarkan pada : Sabtu, 27 Julai 2019 @ 5:50 PM

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