After clean-up, river to be monitored closely

JOHOR BARU: The clean-up along 1.5km of Sungai Kim Kim in Pasir Gudang here, which began on Wednesday, was completed yesterday.

Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin said monitoring would continue to see if anything more needed to be done.

“The 1.5km-long stretch of Sungai Kim Kim that was polluted has already been cleaned up but we want to see what more ‘touchups’ we can do.

“Today (yesterday) can be said to be a day of monitoring. After that, we can look into what further action is needed,” she said at the state Disaster Management Committee’s operations room.

Present was state Department of Environment (DoE) director Datuk Dr Mohammad Ezanni Mat Salleh.

Yeo said, at the same time, 30 teams comprising DoE and Chemistry Department personnel were deployed to 30 schools in the affected area to monitor the air quality using gas detectors.

She said all 30 schools were located three to nine kilometres from Sungai Kim Kim.

“Before this, we have monitored the air quality in different places and found them at a safe level. But our coverage today (yesterday) will be extensive because the clean-up of the river has been completed,” she said, adding that the full report on the air quality would be made public tomorrow.

Meanwhile, 143 people are still receiving treatment in several hospitals.

Johor Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee chairman Dr Sahruddin Jamal said they included 36 people, who were referred to hospitals outside the district, and 29 others admitted to hospitals in other states.

“Seven patients are in the intensive care unit and reported to be in stable condition.”

He said 108 people had been allowed to go home after receiving treatment at Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Hospital Sultan Ismail Hospital and Hospital Permai.

Sahruddin said 550 metric tonnes of contaminated soil and sludge, as well as 700 metric tonnes of water, had been collected.

He also reminded members of the public not to enter the polluted areas and reduce outdoor activities.

Schools in Pasir Gudang were closed and would only begin operating after the authorities declare that conditions were safe, he said.