Fire-fighting At Baling Illegal Dumpsite Hampered By Thick Pile Of Rubbish

BALING, Jan 28 (Bernama) -- The thick layer of waste at the illegal landfill in Kampung Besah, Mukim Tawar near here is making firefighting efforts difficult.

Kedah Department of Environment (DOE) director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab said the landfill, which is believed to have been operating for the past three years, had been dredged before the waste was dumped there.

"The exact time the fire broke out could not be confirmed as the call to 999 was also made late.

"After 31 hours, the fire has still not been extinguished...the pile of waste is very thick...this area is believed to have been dredged," she said in a statement today.

Explaining further, she said the landowner had been asked to help provide equipment such as machinery to help extinguish the fire.

"The landowner was also asked to obtain earth for firefighting purposes as the use of water was seen to be less effective.

"DOE will obtain a CEREX air quality monitoring equipment and install it in sensitive locations nearby places such as schools," she said.

She added that extinguishing work is expected to resume tomorrow.

The media previously reported that the illegally operating landfill site had started burning since yesterday.

Kedah DOE in a separate statement today announced that an investigation was being conducted under Section 29A (2), Environmental Quality Act 1974.

-- BERNAMA