RM5,000 reward for information leading to arrest of Selangor water polluters

The environment and water ministry is offering a reward of RM5,000 to anyone with information and evidence that will lead to the arrest of those responsible for the pollution in Sungai Selangor which caused the most recent disruption of water supply in the state.

Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said information can be sent through email to [email protected] or the Department of Environment hotline at 1-800-88-2727.

“The reward is in line with the government’s continuous commitment to Budget 2021, which will provide special allocations to any (party) who can channel information on any misconduct and violations of the law, including on the issue of river pollution.

“I view this matter very seriously because there have been seven incidents where water treatment plants in Selangor have had to shut down due to pollution this year,” he said in a statement.

He also said he had instructed the ministry’s chief secretary Zaini Ujang to visit several sites suspected to be the source of the pollution around Taman Velox, Rawang.

“Based on initial investigations, the pollution was found to have come from industrial effluent from various small and medium industries at Taman Velox and its vicinity, namely Kawasan Industri Kecil Sungai Bakau and Taman Perindustrian Teknologi Rawang.

“Part of the industrial effluent seeped into drains while some of it was dumped illegally into the sewerage system, where it then disrupted the operations at the IWK sewerage treatment plant in Taman Velox,” he said.

He said enforcement teams would continue to investigate the issue until the cause of pollution and those responsible are identified.