JOHOR BARU, March 20 — The Johor Department of Environment (DoE) is investigating a sewerage treatment plant for indiscriminate water pollution after hundreds of fish were found dead at the Taman Matahari lake in Bandar Indahpura, Kulai yesterday.
Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the investigation, led by a Johor DoE team, was carried out following public complaints on the incident.
“Initial investigations found that the fish had died due to water pollution caused by a dark-looking effluent that was released from the drain of a nearby sewage treatment plant.
“Further investigation by Johor DoE investigators found that the plant’s component treatment system was damaged and had failed to function properly.
“The plant is also suspected of discharging sewage effluent directly, bypassing the required filtration process,” said Ling in a statement late last night.
He was responding to a recent case where hundreds of fish were found dead in the Taman Matahari lake. Images of the incident were earlier circulated on social media platforms.
Ling said in-site readings were also taken on the effluent released from the plant and the lake’s water where the water quality status readings showed deterioration for both locations.
“A notice was issued to the sewage treatment plant for them to stem the water pollution and to repair its damaged system immediately,” he said.
Ling, who is also the Yong Peng assemblyman, said follow-up enforcement will be carried out by Johor DoE’s industrial enforcement unit along with the Kulai Municipal Council’s (MPKu) health division and engineering division on the sewage treatment plant for further action.
He added that authorities will continuously monitor the Taman Matahari lake’s water quality as well as the sewage treatment plant’s compliance status.
