SEREMBAN: A factory owner was reprimanded after a river turned blue near the Taman Tuanku Jaafar Industrial Park in Senawang.
The Department of Environment (DoE) ordered the owner to stop its operations after complaints were received about the river, Sungai Simin, turning blue on Monday.
Checks by the department found the blue substance flowing down a stretch of about eight kilometres, its director Norhazni Mat Sari said adding as team was dispatched following complaints from the public.
"We walked down the river and the affected drains and were led to a plastic factory where the substance had flowed from,” she said.
"Further investigation revealed that the colour of the river turned into blue due to the plastic washing activity which had been contaminated with dye at the factory," she said.
Norhazni said preliminary investigations revealed the acidity level was neutral but samples have been taken to be sent for analysis at the Chemistry Department to determine the content of the dye.
"The DoE has also issued instructions for the plant owner to stop the cleaning activities immediately," she said adding investigations will be conducted under the Environmental Quality Act 1974.
Yesterday there were no traces of the blue substance flowing in the river.
Norhazni said further action will be taken once the department receives the laboratory result from the samples taken from the river and drains in two to three weeks.
State Public Utilities, Environment, Cooperatives and Consumerism Committee Chairman Datuk Abu Ubaidah Redza said, the state government will wait for the full report from DOE before any actions can be taken against the responsible party.
“We will investigate further on whether any other factories are also involved in the incident. We are not taking this matter lightly but any decisions have to be based on the result from the samples,” he said.
He added, the state government will continue to monitor the situation although the colour of the river had returned to normal.