111 Pasir Gudang schools reopening today
PASIR GUDANG: The 111 schools here, which were ordered to close following an air pollution incident, will reopen today.
State Health, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Mohd Khuzzan Abu Bakar said the schools were allowed to reopen after readings showed that the air quality had returned to normal and it was safe.
Even so, he said, as a precautionary measure, a response team comprising officers from various agencies would be on standby at the schools.
“The team will provide students with a safety briefing in the morning during their assemblies.
“The officers are prepared to face any recurrence of the June 20 incident,” he said at Menara Aqabah here yesterday.
He said as at 12pm yesterday, checks on the air quality here showed normal readings.
Speaking on the latest development of the chemical pollution here, Khuzzan said of the four victims who were last reported to be warded, three had been discharged.
“Only one student is warded and is reported to be stable. She is being treated in the hospital because she’s asthmatic.”
He said 72 factories here had been inspected by the Department of Environment where 13 compounds were issued for various non-compliance and flouting of the Environmental Quality Act 1974.
“We will continue to inspect and conduct regular checks on the 2,005 factories, including the 250 chemical-based factories located here. So far, 40 compounds were issued for unscheduled waste disposal, 10 for industrial effluents and three notices to stop work and three notices of demand were issued.”
Khuzzan thanked the federal government and the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry for providing and placing a gas detection device here for a more accurate reading.
He said more of such devices were needed to monitor the air quality, not only here but also at other pollution-prone places in the country.