JOHOR BARU, Aug 3 — The Johor Department of Environment (DoE) will continue its operations for another week to identify the source of the noxious odour detected at SK Sungai Tiram and Sekolah Agama Ulu Tiram.
Johor Tourism, Environment, Heritage and Culture Committee chairman K. Raven Kumar said this will also cover other factories and commercial areas within a one-kilometre radius of the two schools.
“The operation will be carried out for a week following the results of the latest samples that showed that the six factories located near the two schools were not the cause of the pollution.
“All the six factories that DoE inspected earlier were proper facilities and not operating illegally.
“In addition, DoE’s earlier inspections and monitoring in factories, rivers, landfills and areas near the two schools involved found that the water and air quality readings were normal and there was no foul odour detected,” he told reporters at the Sungai Tiram community hall after visiting SK Ulu Tiram and a factory that processes sludge palm oil (SPO) in Kampung Sungai Redan in Ulu Tiram here today.
Also present were Tiram assemblyman Azizul Bachok and Johor Fire and Rescue Department director Siti Rohani Nadir.
On those affected by the odour on Tuesday and Wednesday, Raven Kumar said this was now 39 people, including 23 students, two teachers, two canteen workers, and a clerk from the two schools on the first day.
“Another 11 people are residents of the village near the two schools. The additional figure was after the district health office conducted a house-to-house check yesterday,” he said, adding that those who experienced symptoms of nausea and vomiting received outpatient treatment and were not warded.
Raven Kumar, who is the Tenggaroh assemblyman, also assured the public that the situation in Ulu Tiram was back to normal while the affected schools were open as usual.
Raven Kumar said authorities viewed environmental pollution seriously, and had ordered an illegal palm oil storage facility on Tuesday after it was detected as part of the operation.
“We will not compromise on the existence of illegal factories and if there are other similar premises that pollute the environment, appropriate action will be taken,” said Raven Kumar.
Earlier, it was reported that pupils, teachers, and canteen workers from SK Sungai Tiram experienced nausea and vomiting after inhaling the malodorous air suspected to be from industrial pollution dumped into a nearby river on Tuesday.
The incident was the latest involving chemical pollution in Johor over recent years.
On June 20, Johor Fire and Rescue Department deployed a hazardous material team after detecting fumes from chemical contamination at Kawasan Perindustrian Maju Jaya in Kempas here, which were later determined to be acrolein, benzene, methane, and ethylene oxide.
In September 2021, over 30 residents from Kampung Baru Sri Aman in Seelong near Kempas were evacuated from the area after two people fainted from inhaling chemical fumes from a nearby river, which was caused by petrochemical waste being dumped upstream.
In 2019, Johor experienced one of the worst air pollution incidents in the country’s history when noxious fumes permeated the Sungai Kim Kim area, affecting over 1,000 residents including children in Pasir Gudang.
