Buffer Zones To Be Extended To Stop Water Pollution In Dam, Catchment Areas

Buffer Zones To Be Extended To Stop Water Pollution In Dam, Catchment Areas.
Buffer Zones To Be Extended To Stop Water Pollution In Dam, Catchment Areas ISKANDAR PUTERI, May 8(Bernama) — The buffer zones in 14 gazetted damand catchment areas in Johorwill be extended to solve the problem of water pollution.
Chairman of the Johor Public Works, Rural and Regional Committee, DatukHasni Mohammadsaid the buffer zones would now be extended to 500 metres from the current 50 metres.
"However, this extension is still in the proposal stage by the JohorWater Regulatory Body (Bakaj)and will be submitted to the state government soon," he said at the Johor State Assembly sitting in Kota Iskandarhere today.
He was replying toa question from Dr Sheikh Ibrahim Salleh (PAS-Sungai Abong) who asked about the state government’s proposal to extend the buffer zones in dam and water catchment areas as a way to solve the problem of pollution.
Hasni said the supply of raw water in the dams and catchment areas must be maintained so that the supply of raw water to the treatment plants always met the standards of raw water set by the Health Ministry.
Hasnisaid in the second quarter of this year, Bakajwill installthree water quality surveillance units inSungai Johorto monitor pollution and as an early warning to water treatment plants to take action to prevent worse water disruption.
He said since early last year, the state government had frozen licences for all sand-mining activities in Sungai Johor.
The move was successful in reducing pollution in Sungai Johorin terms of turbidity and suspended solid wastes.
Source : http://www.bernama.com/bernama/state_news/news.php?cat=st&id=1354182

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