IHAVE to express my extreme concern over the bauxite mining operations in Pahang which have serious implications on people living in the surrounding areas.
Not only do the mining operations affect the environment, they also endanger human and marine life.
The routes used by the lorries to transport bauxite ore are covered in dust and yellow earth, while the bauxite leakage affects the area’s water.
This is a serious issue that the Pahang government, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and other relevant authorities have to act upon with utmost urgency.
The harmful effects of the mining activities, without proper guidelines and supervision, have far-reaching consequences. The affliction can easily be fatal and the treatment, costly.
The New Straits Times reported that residents have been complaining about pollution, and how bauxite dust causes skin and throat irritation. The reports also highlighted surveys and laboratory findings of contaminations in a stream and sea waters.
The findings showed elements of heavy metals, arsenic and radiation, which were tested to be above permissible levels in the water samples.
I acknowledge that bauxite mining is one of the revenue sources for the state government. However, the mining activities and its logistics, from the mines to the port, must be closely monitored.
Safety and health guidelines must be established to prevent hazards to public health and the environment.
All these require a long-term solution.
Strict enforcement must be implemented to ensure that the mining operators adhere to safety and health guidelines. At the same time, the authorities must weed out illegal bauxite miners in the state.
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE,
NIOSH CHAIRMAN