Looking for a better plan

The Star, Tuesday, 7 April 2015

by ong ing yeen AND prita menon

 

At the Selangor State Assembly

THE Selangor government is studying an integrated plan for waste management, which includes waste separation, a materials recovery facility and a biomass facility.

Local Government, New Village Development and Legalising of Factories committee chairman Ean Yong Hian Wah (DAP-Seri Kembangan) said this in reply to Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s (PKR-Kajang) question on waste management, particularly in Kajang.

“The Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) has issued a notice of breach of contract between the council and Recycle Energy Sdn Bhd on July 16, 2014, and subsequently the council issued a notice to cancel the agreement with the company on Feb 26 this year,” he said.

Recycle Energy Sdn Bhd (RESB) was the brainchild of a private-funded Core Competencies Sdn Bhd and the company had signed a Land & Waste Supply Agreement with the council in 2004.

Ean Yong added, “Since the closure of the refuse-derived fuel (RDF) centre in Semenyih on April 8, 2014, MPKj has been transporting its solid waste directly to the Tanjung DuaBelas Sanitary Landfill since April 8, 2014.

“To ensure a more consistent solid waste collection schedule in the municipality, RM2 per unit is given to the contractors.”

He added that to solve the waste management problem in Kajang, a systematic long term plan was needed, Wan Azizah had also pointed out that leachate had leaked into rivers in her constituency.

Waste management is a long-standing issue faced by the MPKj and it was reported that there were about 500 tonnes of rubbish collected in the Kajang municipality every day.

The RDF centre could only process 300 tonnes a day, which led to an accumulation of rubbish at the centre and it had to cease operations as the Environment Department said it posed a pollution risk.

Meanwhile, the state assembly was also told that rainwater harvesting exercise has proven to reduce treated water usage by at least 30%.

Based on research conducted by the Housing and Local Government Ministry, Health Ministry, Drainage and Irrigation Department, Seberang Perai Municipal Council and Sandakan Municipal Council as well as the Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS) and the Malaysian Hydraulic Research Institute (Nahrim), treated water usage could be reduced by 70% at the maximum.

This is based on the size of the rainwater harvesting tank and water collected at any one time. 

Ean Yong explained this in response to a question from Gan Pei Nei (PKR- Rawang) on the effectiveness of the project.

Ean Yong said that at present, the state government has made it compulsory for all building plans with 100 sq m rooftop space to include rainwater harvesting tanks.

“So far, this has been made compulsory for all city councils while district councils have been encouraged to do so as well,” he added.

At least eight government premises have installed the tanks at a total cost of RM569,480.