DOE investigating odour pollution in Simpang Pulai - Perak MB

IPOH, March 21 (Bernama) -- The Perak Department of Environment (DOE) is investigating an odour pollution said to be from a chemical around Simpang Pulai near here.

Perak Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the state Health, Science, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman Mohd Akmal Kamarudin had been informed of the matter in a state executive committee meeting recently.

"I understand Perak DOE is investigating and we shall wait for the findings of the investigation as we are not certain where the source of the odour is from,” he told reporters after opening the 45th Annual General Meeting of Perak Farmers Organisation here today.

Earlier, Simpang Pulai assemblyman Tan Kar Hing uploaded the status on his Facebook site on the incident of foul odour emanating from a chemical around the areas in Bandar Seri Botani, Simpang Pulai, Taman Muda and Kampung Sengat.

In the update, Tan said he had conducted patrols around the areas and claimed the smell hurt his eyes and made him suffer from shortness of breath so he had to open the car windows all the way through the area.

Meanwhile, Perak DOE director Rosli Zul when contacted said his department has sent several officers to investigate the matter.

"If we look at the Facebook status update, there was no specific area mentioned as the assemblyman only said bad odour along the road.

"We want to find something that has so many causes because there are many industrial areas around Simpang Pulai up to Lahat, so we need to conduct a more in-depth study to identify the real cause, " he said.

However, his department did not take the matter lightly and will continue to investigate until the source of the odour can be identified.

-- BERNAMA