The department said legal action could also be taken under licensing requirements of the lands and mines office, and regulations of the national water commission.

The department said the company had been ordered to report on its repairs to a breach in the silt pond embankment that contributed to the pollution, Bernama reported.

It must also continuously monitor all operational silt ponds to ensure no further pollution incidents occur.

The department said it will ensure that no additional pollutants or muddy water enter nearby river systems once the necessary repairs are completed.

Those involved in mining and industrial operations were reminded to implement effective pollution control measures, especially during the rainy season.

Yesterday, Johor executive councillor Fazli Salleh said the turbidity of raw water in the Johor river basin had risen dramatically to 37,400 units from a normal level of about 400 units.

He said the pollution was caused by soil movement that led to the collapse of a sand-dredging pond owned by a company at an inland sand mining site in Kota Tinggi.

Water supply to 455,499 consumer accounts has been disrupted, with half the number still affected this morning in Johor Bahru, Kulai and Kota Tinggi.

Kajang: Kewujudan kilang haram di Kampung Bukit Dukung, di sini sejak kira-kira 20 tahun lalu menyebabkan penduduk berdepan pelbagai masalah termasuk pencemaran udara, bunyi dan bau, longkang tersumbat, jalan rosak serta rumah retak.

Penduduk, Ahmad Syafi'ie Johan, 40, mendakwa terdapat puluhan kilang haram di kampung itu yang pada awalnya adalah stor kecil, namun 'dinaiktaraf' sejak jalan masuk diturap dengan tar.

"Asalnya jalan kampung ini adalah jalan ke kebun. Apabila ada jalan tar, penduduk perasan ada beberapa stor kecil dibina yang kononnya untuk disewa.

"Namun lama-kelamaan, premis yang dibina semakin besar dan laluan kampung mula dipenuhi dengan jentera berat menuju ke kilang-kilang (haram) berkenaan," katanya ketika ditemui di Kampung Bukit Dukung, di sini, baru-baru ini.

Ahmad Syafi'ie berkata, pihaknya keliru bagaimana kilang boleh dibina di kampung berkenaan, sedangkan semakan dibuat menunjukkan tanah kampung itu berstatus tanah pertanian.

"Bayangkan kilang haram yang dibina mempunyai bekalan elektrik dan air seolah-olah kewujudannya di kawasan ini adalah sah seperti mana lebih 80 rumah yang ada di kampung ini.

"Justeru itu, kami mahu mengetengahkan isu ini kepada pihak berkuasa, memandangkan permasalahan terbabit sudah berlanjutan kira-kira 20 tahun.

"Malah, sudah ramai penduduk menyuarakan mengenai isu ini termasuk membuat aduan rasmi kepada pihak berkuasa, tetapi sehingga kini belum ada tindakan drastik diambil," katanya yang menetap di kampung berkenaan sejak lahir.

Seorang lagi penduduk kampung, Kamarul Zaimi Kamaruddin, 45, berkata, banjir kilat, pencemaran udara dan bunyi kerap berlaku susulan kilang haram di sekitar kampung.

"Dulu, kampung ini aman tetapi kini timbul banyak masalah sejak wujudnya kilang-kilang haram di kawasan ini. Sisa kilang yang merangkumi bahan kimia dilepaskan (tanpa ikut spesifikasi), menyebabkan longkang tersumbat.

"Setiap kali hujan lebat melebihi empat jam, pasti berlaku banjir kilat di kawasan kampung. Selain sisa longkang, bunyi bising serta asap hitam daripada kilang juga menjadi punca pencemaran di kampung ini," katanya.

Beliau yang juga Penaung Persatuan Pendukung Pengguna Malaysia (PPPM) berkata, terdapat rumah penduduk terletak berhampiran kilang haram mengalami keretakan disebabkan operasi kilang.

Katanya, malangnya apabila perkara itu dimajukan, tiada mana-mana pihak tampil bertanggungjawab.

"Sampai bila penduduk harus berdepan permasalahan ini. Kami tidak mahu masalah itu berterusan dan menyebabkan semakin banyak kilang haram dibina di kampung ini," katanya.

Tinjauan Harian Metro di lokasi terbabit mendapati terdapat beberapa kilang di sekitar kampung dan lebih 10 kenderaan berat keluar masuk dalam tempoh satu jam tinjauan dilaksana.

Wartawan juga mengesan jalan kampung agar rosak dan banyak lubang dipercayai kesan pergerakan kenderaan berat.

Selain itu longkang berhampiran kilang juga tersumbat, dengan airnya agak keruh dan bertakung.

LUBOK ANTU, 3 Nov: Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Lubok Antu kini giat melaksanakan pemantauan bencana sebagai langkah kesiapsiagaan menghadapi Monsun Timur Laut (MTL) yang dijangka membawa hujan lebat dan risiko banjir.

Menurut kenyataan IPD Lubok Antu, pasukan pemantau bencana yang digerakkan sejak hampir sebulan lalu melibatkan anggota dari Balai Polis Lubok Antu dan Balai Polis Engkilili, dengan fokus pemantauan di kawasan-kawasan berisiko seperti SPS 1 & 2 Batang Ai, Kampung Melayu, Kampung Kutai, Pangkalan Batang Ai, Riverine Pekan Lubok Antu, tebingan Sungai Engkilili, Stuga Baru, Nanga Kesit, Lubok Tedong, Geligau dan Kumpang Langgir.

Selain pemantauan kampung dan kawasan tebingan, tahap paras air di Empangan Batang Ai turut diperhatikan dari semasa ke semasa.

Inisiatif ini bertujuan memastikan keselamatan dan ketenteraman awam terus terjamin sekiranya berlaku bencana seperti banjir atau tanah runtuh.

Orang ramai dinasihatkan agar berwaspada terhadap perubahan cuaca mendadak dan peningkatan paras air, khususnya pada waktu malam.

Sebarang kejadian boleh dilaporkan segera ke Balai Polis Lubok Antu di talian 083-584102 dan Balai Polis Engkilili di talian 083-563019.-TVS

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — Flood mitigation projects and cross-agency coordination mechanisms to ensure a continuous supply of clean water will be among the main issues to be raised in today’s Dewan Rakyat session.

According to the Order Paper on the Parliament’s website, Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (PN-Kubang Kerian) will ask the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation to outline the strategic measures being implemented to integrate green infrastructure and nature-based solutions into flood mitigation projects, ensuring they are cost-effective, resilient, and provide direct benefits to the public, during the question-and-answer session.

In the same session, Riduan Rubin (Independent-Tenom) will ask the ministry for an explanation of the established cross-agency coordination mechanisms to ensure an uninterrupted clean water supply during floods and natural disasters, including the logistical equipment’s capability to efficiently deliver water to rural and remote communities.

Meanwhile, Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH-Bukit Bendera) will raise a question to the Digital Minister on the ministry’s plans to carry forward initiatives under the 2021-2025 National Blockchain Roadmap, which is set to expire at the end of this year.

She will also inquire about plans to introduce a regulatory framework or dedicated legislation governing asset tokenisation (the process of converting ownership rights of real-world or digital assets into digital tokens on a blockchain).

Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah (BN-Paya Besar) will ask the Education Minister regarding the government’s spending on preschool education compared to other levels of education and how much of that allocation is devoted to developing teacher talent, particularly in relation to the updated Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) curriculum, to better prepare educators for nurturing the next generation.

Following the question-and-answer session, the Dewan Rakyat is set to resume proceedings with the debate on the 2026 Supply Bill (Budget) at the policy stage, led by the relevant ministries.

The Third Meeting of the Fourth Session of the 15th Parliament will run for 35 days, ending on December 4. — Bernama