Residents worry about effects from illegal dumpsite fire

JOHOR BARU: Residents of Taman Bukit Kempas here are crying foul over a fire at an illegal dumping site that has caused thick smoke and sparked health concerns since Wednesday.

Salesman Lua Xiang Jun, 21, who lives 2km from the site, said it was not the first time that they had seen smoke coming from the area but “this time it is a lot thicker”.

“The smoke was really thick yesterday morning (Wednesday) and we could hardly see the road,” he said near his house yesterday.

He expressed concern that the pollution would deteriorate to the level of Pasir Gudang and urged the authorities to take immediate action.

“There are at least two primary schools in this area and I am afraid it will affect the children,” he added.

Mohd Rafi Haron, 41, said he was worried about the effects of the pollution on the health of his nine-year-old son, a pupil of SK Taman Bukit Kempas.

“My son told me that some of the students in his class felt discomfort due to the smoke yesterday,” said the machine operator.

He said they did not know what materials were being burnt at the dumpsite but was really concerned that it might contain toxic chemical waste that would bring long-term health effects to the residents.

“I told my son to put on a face mask at school as a precautionary measure,” he added.

Another resident who wanted to be known only as Chong, 72, said she had been experiencing breathing difficulty since Wednesday morning due to the thick smoke.

“My throat felt dry and my nose itched since the smoke started appearing. I do not understand what makes people think it is acceptable to set up a dumpsite so close to a residential area.

“And when something like this happens, the residents will be affected the most,” she added.

Johor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations Saiful Iswandy Hassan said they dispatched a team to the location after receiving a call about the fire at about 8am on Wednesday.

“We are still in the process of putting out the fire, with support from the local authorities and other agencies,” he said.

He added that this was not the first time the department had received a call to put out a fire at an illegal dumpsite in the area.

A check at the location found that it is situated just several metres away from another dumpsite that was in flames just months before.

Source: TheStar