By Afix Redzuan
SHAH ALAM, Nov 1 — The Selangor Water Resources Management Special Select Committee has welcomed the comprehensive plan to address the closure of the state’s water treatment plants (WTP) due to river pollution.
The plan was laid out in the 2021 Selangor Budget.
Committee chairman Michelle Ng Mei Sze said as of October, nine WTP-related incidents were reported, affecting hundreds of thousands of user accounts due to unscheduled water supply disruptions.
“This plan takes into account various aspects including legal amendments, emergency water source plans, improving monitoring and enforcement as well as the use of appropriate technology to identify pollution as early as possible.
“I am pleased that the state government has taken in the recommendations made by the committee during the (State Legislative Assembly) sitting in July,” said Michelle Ng Mei Sze when contacted.
Ng Mei Sze, who is also the Subang Jaya assemblyman, hoped the state government could set a timeline for the plan as a measure of accountability and transparency.
Through the Fourth Strategy of the state budget — Strengthening Environmental Sustainability, Resources and Food Supply Chain — among the efforts to be taken by the state government is to amend the Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) Enactment 1999 to increase the fines for water resources pollution offences.
In addition, the state government will also implement a pilot project for Biological Treatment/BioRemediation for the purpose of rejuvenating the water quality of Sungai Gong using a combination of biological approaches such as the placement of nanotechnology (Aquaritin) and physical methods such as Raw Water Treatment System (RWTS).
