Rag mountain in Sg Akar finally cleared
By M K Anwar

The mountain of rags is being cleared at Kg Sg Akar

 The land at Kg Sg Akar after the removal of waste

The mountain of mouldy rags in Kg Sg Akar has finally found a permanent resting place. After continuous bickering with the relevant government department and threatened with legal action, the individual in charge finally gave in to the authorities' demand and agreed to dispose of everything to the Sg Akar dumping site. Yesterday afternoon, trucks were seen transporting the waste to the Sg Akar dumping site. Heavy machinery was used to load the rags to the trucks since Monday. The second site was already cleared by Tuesday.

The pile of rags had been dumped at the site for more than a year and was reported in the Weekend Bulletin last December.

It was reported that the person who is responsible for that was actually trying to recycle the textile waste in Singapore. For some unknown reason, the recycling company which was supposed to recycle the waste folded, leaving the waste rotting.

The landowner of the site said he was actually promised that the textile waste would be cleared from his land in two months. But the promise didn't materialise for more than a year. He tried to persuade the individual responsible to clear the waste away but to no avail.

When it was published in the Weekend Bulletin last year, the government department started to take action. A government officer went to the site to collect information.

The site of unscrupulous dumping was located in a high residential area. Several residents had made complaints regarding the waste. Whenever it rained, the waste became damp and foul smell emanated from the textile waste. The large pile of waste also posed a fire hazard, especially during hot weather.

"It's about time," said one resident nearby. "We have been waiting for a long time," said another resident who witnessed the waste removal yesterday.

The problem of improper dumping of industrial waste and garbage highlights the growing need for a proper implementation of a strong and viable environmental law backed by proper authorities.

It seems improper for actions only to be taken when thrash and garbage are thrown unscrupulously. A law that will stop any individuals from repeating such acts is therefore needed.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin