No let up in Services sector Keeping the travel Celebrating war with virus a rising star industry afloat the people’s monarch 5 7 10 8&9 FREE l DECEMBER 2020 EDITION l www.selangorjournal.my SELANGOR THE Selangor administration has outlined several measures to en- sure that the people have a con- tinuous supply of water. The ini- tiatives include to increase ground surveillance, use high-tech drones for monitoring difficult-to-access areas, and make amendments to the law to impose heavier penalties on offenders. Swift action by state agencies has also been instrumental in averting water cuts. Thirteen out of 21 re- ported incidents of pollution were intercepted before more damage was done. MORE ON PAGES 2to3 2 NEWS Selangor Journal l DECEMBER 2020 River diversion may be the remedy Hard to sniff out By NORRASYIDAH ARSHAD tects a pollution, we will stop the flow of the polluted river odour pollution SHAH ALAM - A pilot project to water immediately to avoid it divert river water during a pol- from entering the surface wa- lution incident is underway to ter intake of the water treat- ensure that users do not face ment plants (WTPs). water cuts. “Although the treatment State executive councillor plants are suspended, people for infrastructure and public will not have to worry because amenities Izham Hashim said this pilot project will operate water from existing reserve to keep supplying water,” he ponds will be temporarily said during a media briefing pumped to consumers while on Nov 26. the operations of water treat- Izham said the reserve ment plants are suspended. ponds will be able to sup- Izham said the project, ply water that lasts up to 100 which costs a total of RM200 days. million, will begin early next The project covers the Ran- year and is expected to be tau Panjang, Semenyih, and completed by December 2021. Sungai Selangor Phase 1, 2 “When the static station de- and 3 WTPs. Green tech to combat pollutants SHAH ALAM - Selangor is in the the contaminated materials final stages of developing an and increase the amount of ox- environment-friendly and high- ygen in the water. Izham tests the smells of polluted water samples at the Air Selangor headquarters tech method to address river “We are now waiting for the pollution in the state. final laboratory report and if it SHAH ALAM - There is current- the source of odour pollution. be processed although the pol- State executive councillor for succeeds, we will use this tech- ly no special device that can de- “Usually odour pollution lution level or TON (threshold infrastructure and public ame- nology for Selangor’s rivers. It tect odour pollution at raw wa- comes from organic matters, odour number) reading is low nities Izham Hashim said the will directly reduce the cost of ter sources, says state executive hence this device will be able and does not change the colour technology is being developed treating water for consumers,” councillor for infrastructure and to detect the source based on of the water. in collaboration with a private he said. public amenities Izham Hashim. changes to the water,” he said “Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn company and a local water ex- Izham said the state govern- Whenever there is pollution, during a media briefing on the Bhd (Air Selangor) had once ex- pert. ment is also facing a big chal- it can only be detected using the water supply solution plan here perienced processing the water “With this technology, our lenge due to the large number olfactory sense. on Nov 26. with a one TON reading. A chem- experts have identified certain of factories situated near the However, Izham said the state Izham added that odour pol- ical reaction was formed which microorganisms that live in the two main river basins. - Berna- government is planning on us- lution occurs more frequently caused the smell to be stronger. river that can act as a filter to ma ing an organic carbon analyser than diesel or palm oil spills. We are complying with the ad- device, called the Total Organic He explained that water sourc- vice by the Health Ministry,” he Six stations to do Carbon (TOC) analyser, to detect es with odour pollution cannot said. 24-hour monitoring Planning ahead for dry spells SHAH ALAM - Six fixed sta- be located at Sungai Pajam, SHAH ALAM - The Selangor gov- ture, we must not be compla- gor’s Bual Bicara talk show ti- tions are being built near the Sungai Beranang and Sungai ernment is drafting a prepara- cent because we faced a serious tled ‘Pencemaran Air: Siapa Buat Sungai Selangor and Sungai Semenyih for the Sungai Se- tion plan to face the possibility dry spell in 2014. Following that, Onar’ (Water pollution: Who Semenyih river basins for con- menyih basin. of water disruption in the state the Hybrid Off River Augmen- is causing the interference?) tinuous monitoring of the raw “We build these stations be- during long droughts. tation System (HORAS) and the broadcast live on Facebook on water sources. cause we do not want to only State executive councillor for Offstream River System (ORS) Nov 23. State executive councillor rely on patrolling. Right now, infrastructure and public ameni- were developed. Izham had also advised the for infrastructure and public there are already two stations ties Izham Hashim said a holis- “I am confident that with- people to use water prudently amenities Izham Hashim said placed at Sungai Sembah and tic study on the matter will com- in the next 10 years, we would as the water consumption rate three stations will be placed Sungai Gong,” said Izham mence in the next few months be better prepared seeing that in the state is at 5,000 MLD (mil- at Rantau Panjang, Sungai during a media briefing on the to ensure there will be sufficient water disruption does not only lion litres per day), which is the Gong and Sungai Sembah solution plan to resolve pollu- supply of raw water. happen because of pollution or highest in the country and sur- for the Sungai Selangor ba- tion issues at Sungai Selangor “Even though there is no burst pipes but also droughts,” passes the recommendation by sin, while another three will and Sungai Semenyih. drought season in the near fu- said Izham during Media Selan- the World Health Organisation. Selangor Journal l DECEMBER 2020 NEWS 3 Amended Luas Enactment awaits Many water cuts royal assent By KHAIRUL AZRAN HUSSIN prevented, says MB GOMBAK - The Selangor Water Management Au- SHAH ALAM - The Selangor gov- “However, some of the incidents strategy, the state government aims thority (Luas) Amendment Bill 2020, which includes ernment has managed to prompt- could not be avoided. to continue preserving the water heftier penalties against polluters, will be enforced ly resolve 13 raw water pollution “The main constraint is that there supply sources,” he said. within a month after it was passed at the Selangor incidents this year, preventing the is no technology able to detect Meanwhile, state executive coun- Legislative Assembly on Nov 9. closure of water treatment plants odour pollution and (we) need to cillor for infrastructure and pub- Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin (WTP), says its Menteri Besar. rely solely on the human nose,” said lic amenities Izham Hashim said Shari said several processes have to be carried Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said a Amirudin on Nov 30. on Nov 26 that among the types of out in order to gazette the amended law, which in- total of 21 cases of river pollution In addressing the issue, he said pollution detected include nine oil cludes seeking the consent of the Selangor Ruler were detected in the year 2020, the state government has allocated spills, seven from odour pollution, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj. with the latest incident reported on RM200 million in the 2021 Selangor three from industrial and aquacul- “Once His Royal Highness has granted the royal Nov 25 near Bandar Bukit Mahkota, Budget. ture effluent discharge and one case assent, the Bill will become law within a month’s time. Cheras. “Through a short and long term due to turbidity. “After that, any individual found guilty of pollut- ing the rivers will face heavier punishments,” he said when met after attending a briefing on oper- ations to tear down illegal structures near the Se- Cash reward for reporting environmental crimes langor river basin, held at the Selayang Municipal SHAH ALAM - The Selangor govern- He said in cases where an offence serve water resources will be more Council office here on Nov 24. ment is offering a reward, totalling has been committed, information is effective against such criminal activi- The amendments to the Luas Enactment 1999 RM20,000, to members of the public needed so that legal action can be ties,” he said on Nov 27. were passed at the Selangor State Legislative As- for information on any environmen- taken against the offenders. On Nov 10, the Ministry of Environ- sembly after a string of pollution incidents left mil- tal crime that can lead to the arrest of “The state government has for- ment and Water offered a reward of lions of taps in the state dry. the perpetrators. mulated various short-term, medi- RM5,000 to anyone who could pro- The Bill was approved with 11 amendments Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri um-term and long-term strategies to vide information and evidence that which include increasing the minimum penalty to Amirudin Shari said the reward is an minimise the impact of river pollution could lead to the arrest of individuals RM200,000 and setting the maximum fine to not incentive to get members of the pub- on the people in Selangor.