By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, March 2: Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) enforcement officers will be patrolling at Matang New Township, especially the Metro City area, to crack down on illegal dumping.
Assistant Minister of Utilities (Water Supply) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi revealed DBKU enforcement officers will be patrolling at odd hours to keep the illegal dumping situation in check near Metro City.
He observed that the area is q hotspot for people to dump their waste and unwanted materials there, especially construction industry waste.
“We have received many complaints whereby there were rubbish, waste and unwanted materials from construction sites being dumped at Metro City, Matang here.
“Recently, our officers have been patrolling outside office hours to check on the situation.
“We hope to catch these perpetrators,” he told a press conference at the DBKU office here.
Earlier, Dr Abdul Rahman who is also the minister-in-charge of DBKU said illegal dumping is not new in Kuching and the situation has become worrisome lately.
He highlighted a few areas which have illegal dumping activities such as the Demak industrial area in Matang and Sg Maong Hawker Centre.
Dr Abdul Rahman pointed out that under Local Authority (Cleanliness by-Law) 1999, those who have been found guilty of illegal dumping could be fined RM1,000 by the court for the first offence or an additional RM2,000 for subsequent offences, or six months’ imprisonment, or both.
In the meantime, he urged members of the public with information about illegal dumping to report it to the council and send photos about the situation so that the council could take action.
Apart from that, Dr Abdul Rahman revealed the council is upgrading the concrete drainage along a few roads in the city centre to prevent flash floods.
This includes widening drainage with additional concrete structures at Khoo Hun Yeang Road, Padang Merdeka, Jalan Masjid as well as Main Bazaar.
He also revealed that DBKU will carry out landscape beautification by chopping down trees and replacing them with new ones at the centre of Jalan Tun Rahman to avoid the problem of falling branches which could hit passing cars and people.
Meanwhile, Dr Abdul Rahman disclosed that traders and hawkers who wish to conduct business at the upcoming Ramadan Bazaar from April 24 to May 23 must obtain permits from DBKU.
He noted that this is the first time DBKU is imposing a permit requirement for those who want to trade at Ramadan Bazaars.
He reminded traders and hawkers not to use styrofoam or polystyrene as food wrappers as they are bad for the environment.
DBKU officers will conduct random food sampling among selected hawkers and traders at these bazaars which will be held in Satok and Semarak during the month of Ramadan.
Among those present at the press conference were DBKU Datuk Bandar Datu Junaidi Reduan, DBKU director Dr Morshidi Ahmad and DBKU commissioner Datuk Grunsin Ayom. — DayakDaily
