SHAH ALAM: The Selangor state government has sent soil and water samples taken from a site in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, so far believed to be the source of contamination in Sungai Semenyih, for analysis yesterday.
State Tourism, Consumer Affairs and Environment exco Elizabeth Wong said the administration suspected that pollutants - the type of which has yet to be identified - were dumped on purpose into a drain at the location by individuals who were aware that the water would eventually flow into Sungai Semenyih.
"Yesterday, Air Selangor and Selangor Water Management Board (Luas) had identified the site in Nilai, where they found evidences of pollutants.
"Luas had filed a police report in Negri Sembilan on the same night, and informed the state's Department of Environment Office of the findings.
"The Selangor state government has sent samples collected at the site, including from a drain there and soil samples, to a laboratory for analysis.
"We believe the pollutants were deliberately disposed of by someone with full knowledge that the drainage at the area will eventually lead into Selangor and into the intake point of Semenyih water treatment plant.
"In addition, the pollutant dumping was also done at a precise timing, to coincide with (Selangor Menteri Besar) Datuk Seri Azmin Ali's launch of a new water treatment plant at Labuhan Dagang," she said in a statement today.
Wong said the state government believed that the findings had strengthen suspicion that water contamination incidents experienced by the state since last month were acts of sabotage.
Wong added that cleanup works at the site had begun on Sunday evening with the help of Indah Water Konsortium.
She said Luas had also built a bund at Sungai Buah to prevent contaminated water from reaching Sungai Semenyih.