Sungai Penchala’s Alarming Dead Fish Allegedly Linked To Dairy Manufacturer
A factory accused of the pollution says they have been in contact with the relevant authorities all day regarding this matter.
Subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest stories and updates.
An alarming amount of dead fishes floating in Sungai Penchala caught the eye of concerned netizens early this morning.
Twitter user @pulotutui shared images of dead, bloated fish floating near the river banks at Section 14, Petaling Jaya.
Something is wrong with Sg Penchala. Dead fish and very bad smell! Current location at Section 14, Petaling Jaya! @jasmalaysia @KASA_Malaysia @pjcitycouncil @mariachin @Media_Selangor @AmirudinShari 1/2 pic.twitter.com/aKiBGchSzU
— Pulotutui 🏴🇲🇾 (@Pulotutui) August 12, 2021
He raised the alarm to the Environment Department, Indah Water Konsortium (IWK), and the Fisheries Department. Representatives arrived on scene within the day to investigate.
Initial investigations led to the waste outlet of a dairy product manufacturer located nearby.
According to further updates from this Twitter user, the testing done from the water sample taken at the Dutch Lady factory in Section 13, Petaling Jaya, alleged to be the culprit.
Latest Update:
— Pulotutui 🏴🇲🇾 (@Pulotutui) August 12, 2021
Water sample taken from Dutch Lady Factory @DutchLadyMY @FrieslndCampina in Petaling Jaya, Selangor! Culprit behind the water pollution #SgPenchala @Media_Selangor @AmirudinShari @mariachin @jasmalaysia @pjcitycouncil pic.twitter.com/jU8OvHNet8
A spokesperson from Dutch Lady says they are aware of the river contamination incident allegedly involving their factory and have been in contact with the Department of Environment, National Water Services Commission (SPAN), and the Selangor Water Management Authority (LUAS) since this morning to investigate this matter.
Recurring problem
Though a casual search shows that this is the first time Dutch Lady has been accused of wrongdoing, urban rivers in Malaysia have faced this kind of large-scale death of the marine ecosystem due to chemical waste from factories before.
This isn’t the first time that an urban river has faced a this kind of large-scale death of the marine ecosystem due to chemical waste from factories.
In fact, nearby urban rivers such as Sungai Damansara often have reports of schools of fish dying from toxic waste polluting the river, dumped by unscrupulous factory operators.
While this kind of pollution is upsetting for residents (and the fishes), consistent pollution of our urban water sources have led to state-wide water cuts to prevent toxic water from entering our residential homes.
Share your thoughts with us on TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
