SEREMBAN: The Negeri Sembilan Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) has cleared 74 illegal dumpsite hotspots statewide since last year.
Its director, Siti Yusnita Mohamad Yusof said that of the total, 54 locations were cleaned up last year and are under surveillance while 20 more sites were cleared this year, involving 79 tonnes of waste.
“The commercial and industrial waste thrown out included plastics, boxes and old furniture. With the last and biggest cleanup operation of illegal waste carried out in Seremban Jaya today, there are no more illegal dumpsites in the state.
“Since Wednesday (May 3), we have cleared 72 tonnes of waste and an estimated 300 tonnes of illegal waste will be cleaned up in this area (Seremban Jaya). A total of 11 operations have been carried out this year, with three cleanups,” she told reporters at the location of the cleanup operation, here, today.
She said most of the illegal waste disposal sites were deserted areas or abandoned shop premises as the offenders assumed that their activities would go undetected since these places do not attract attention.
“After the cleanup, SWCorp will enforce the law under the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act (Act 672) through surveillance operations to identify individuals dumping waste illegally,” she said.
She said SWCorp plans to install closed-circuit television cameras in certain areas to monitor and overcome the issue of waste disposal at illegal sites in the state.
“Such illegal waste dumping activities not only pollute the environment but are also the cause of various health issues, including becoming a breeding ground for vectors as well as having financial implications on the state government for cleanup works,” she said.
As such, she advised the public to channel information regarding illegal waste disposal activities to SWCorp to prevent the situation from worsening and to protect the state’s image. – Bernama
