Punish the culprits in the harshest way
THE Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) calls on the government to amend the law to punish culprits who pollute the environment in the harshest way because their deeds affect the lives of millions of people.
The seriousness of the impact is clearly seen in the case of Air Selangor that supplies water to more than eight million consumers in the Klang Valley.
Water is highly vulnerable to pollution and sabotage, as illustrated by the unscheduled shutdowns people were subjected to. Odour pollution in raw water sources twice, diesel contamination, and, in the latest incident, 50cu m of illegal waste was disposed of in the Semenyih River this month, resulting in dry taps for 1.5 million Selangor residents.
Have any of the culprits who caused such dangerous water supply disruptions been hauled into court, and if they have, what was the penalty? We have not heard of any so far.
The government should not hesitate to take stern action against those found guilty: Make a jail sentence mandatory; impose hefty fines as a deterrent; make them pay for the clean-up; suspend factory operating licenses for five years.
The current problems are the result of a decades-long lack of protection of the water source, thereby enabling several hundred factories to be sited along river reserves. Moreover, individuals and sewage plants are able to dump their waste into the rivers.
We urge the government to locate any manufacturing and commercial activity away from the river reserves. Install close circuit TV cameras as well as patrol the river reserves 24/7.
There are already existing laws empowering local councils, Department of Environment offices, and the Drainage and Irrigation Department to enforce and protect water resources. The problem is that the enforcement of the laws is grossly lacking.
We reiterate our call to the government to impose mandatory jail sentences and hefty fines; make the culprits pay for cleaning up the water; and suspend the licenses of factory licenses for five years.
Contaminating the water supply is equivalent to the criminal offence of poisoning the population not to mention causing extreme inconvenience to everyone affected as daily lives are disrupted. The culprits should be taught that crime does not pay.