The Negeri Sembilan Environment Department (JASNS) has taken water samples from Sungai Gemencheh, Tampin, near here today due to suspected pollution after the river water turned black.
Gemencheh assemblyman Suhaimizan Bizar said the samples were sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis before further action can be taken.
‘Samples were taken last week, and today more samples were taken and the results are expected next week. In fact, two months ago the river water had changed colour, but the rains were back, however, lately the water looks black, and today we saw a lot of dead fish,’ he told Bernama. ‘We suspect that the water is from an oil palm mill, located two to three kilometres away, that is channelled into the river. The mill has been operating for a long time and was closed but reopened early last year.”
He said immediate action needs to be taken by the relevant parties to overcome the problem as the water source of the river involved is also used by farmers in the surrounding area for their c
rops.
Today, the media reported that residents, especially farmers in the area, expressed their concern that their crops would be affected after the river water turned black.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency