Locals still awaiting answer on waste dumped in Chepor

IPOH: When resort owner Nasarudin Umar saw lorries dumping some soil-like substance on a piece of land near his premises in Chepor here about five years ago, he was worried.

However, Nasarudin, 52, was given the assurance then that the green and greycoloured substance, believed to be industrial waste, was harmless.

His workers later claimed they developed rashes after touching the smelly substance.

“We were initially told that the material was safe.

“There used to be small bushes and plants in the area where the material was dumped. All these have been covered by the waste,” he told reporters during a visit to the site by Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) yesterday.

“We reported the matter to the police, the National Water Services Commission as well as the Environment Department (DOE), and the area was cordoned off.

“It has been five years now, there’s no update on the investigation. We hope it can be resolved soon,” said Nasarudin, who also claimed the waste had polluted Sungai Chepor.

“There are a few homestays located near the river and they told us that the water has become murky.

“A nearby fish farm was also affected. I was told by the owner that his fish had died,” he said.

SAM field officer Meor Razak Meor Abdul Rahman said they received a complaint in February that the substance was scattered on a plot of privately-owned land.

“We are unsure whether the material is hazardous or not,” he said.

“If it is not, why didn’t the party responsible dump it at the waste disposal area provided by local authorities?”

He added that the relevant authority needs to investigate the matter.

When contacted, Perak DOE director Rosli Zul said they will investigate the matter.

“We will take a sample and hand it to the Chemistry Department to determine if the substance is harmful or not,” he said.