TEEMING with food waste, clogged with grease and filled with water the colour of curry, drains surrounding coffeeshops and food stalls in most areas in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor can be a nauseating sight.

This filth then flows into rivers and pollutes the water.

Studies on the water quality under the River of Life project identified food waste as the main pollutant in eight rivers flowing through Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

Sungai Keroh recorded a BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) count of 565.39kg per day.

This means more than 500kg of oxygen and bacteria are needed to dilute just this one aspect of pollution on a daily basis.

Kepong Hawkers and Petty Traders Association vice-chairman Ng Yow Loon said the problem stemmed from irresponsibility.

“There is a Government ruling that restaurants must have rubbish and grease traps installed so the food waste does not directly go into the drains and end up clogging the pipes. But many do not comply.

“The main problem is with the stall owners in coffeeshops who build sinks with pipes that run directly into the drains.

“The coffeeshop owner who is renting out the space to them must include the requirement of installing grease and rubbish traps in each rental contract.

“Either that or install a communal trap to accommodate the tenants,” added Ng.

Coffeeshop and food stall owners claimed they flush the drains with water after business hours daily, but the grey gunk and fish scales stuck to drain walls, that have algae, shows otherwise.

Those are stories Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) Health and Environment Department director Dr Hayati Abdullah does not buy.

Together with a team of health inspectors, she oversees 6,269 restaurants, one third of which are in complexes.

The department’s list of no-nos are clear. No direct discharge of water from pipes into drains. No washing plates or preparing food in back lanes. Only restaurants with fat, oil and grease (FOG) traps will be issued with licences. This was implemented in 2005.

The biggest challenge was dealing with the mentality of the public.

In 2011, the department realised that the compulsory grease trap rule was not working.

A quick check with officers revealed that some operators had neglected to clean and maintain the traps, resulting in clogged drains.

As a shortcut measure, restaurant owners had disconnected the pipes leading to the filtering machines.

When the department realised this, it made it compulsory for owners to provide copies of maintenance contracts with DBKL-registered contractors.

This was implemented in 2012, but the problem remains unsolved.

Source:
courtesy of THE STAR

by GRACE CHEN

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