As early as 8am, 10 staff were seen getting in and out of the plant, which is about the size of a football field. A few tankers were seen entering and leaving the plant, 100m from the main road. A number of staff was spotted inspecting a pipe, originating from the plant, that spewed liquid into Sungai Batu Ferringhi.
The pipe has been identified as releasing a black substance, the contentious discharge that has been blamed for the river pollution.
Staff were later seen collecting sand samples from the nearby beach, 300m away. Some parts of the beach are believed to have been contaminated by human waste, as the river snakes along the beach before reaching the sea.
Also spotted were several officers from the Department of Environment, who collected water samples from the river to monitor the discharge from the plant.
None of the IWK staff, when approached, was willing to talk about the nature of their work at the plant and whether they heeded the directive from state Local Government Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow that IWK immediately stop any discharge into the river to prevent further degradation of the waterway and beach.
Chow also ordered IWK to remove the sludge and dump it into another treatment plant or landfill, as well as upgrade the existing facility by two-fold.
I
WK communications senior manager Shahrul Nizam Sulaiman said the workers were carrying their normal duties, as well as maintenance work.
"Our technical teams clear rubbish that has been indiscriminately disposed of into the sewage system. They check the electrical and mechanical equipment to make sure the submersible pumps are working. They also check the sludge system. The staff take samples at intake and release points, too."
On the presence of the tankers, Shahrul Nizam said they were used to carry out normal maintenance work at the chlorination chamber.
When Chow was asked if he was happy with IWK's work at the plant yesterday, he said he had no answer to the question. He said IWK would brief him on its actions today.
Chow said IWK needed to protect its public image and practise corporate social responsibility.
"The more they deny (responsibility), the worse it will be for them. I want action to be taken to address the problem. They need to do it quickly to restore public confidence."
Department of Environment officers taking water samples from a pipe that has been spewing foul-smelling black water for four days in Batu Ferringhi, Penang.
(Source: NST)
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