KANGAR: The Consumers' Association of Penang (CAP) is urging the Perlis Environment Department (DOE) to take stern action immediately against a factory that has been found to be polluting the waters of Sungai Ngulang, causing hundreds of fish to die.

       In a statement on Monday (May 9), CAP said the problem alleged by locals arose from the discharge of treatment plant effluent from a factory in Bukit Keteri which was 5km from the river.

       The statement said Sungai Ngulang was a place people went to bathe in and go fishing while its water was used for irrigating padi fields in Perlis.

       CAP president Mohidden Abdul Kadir said CAP regretted that although the incident which caused the river water to turn black, had been reported previously, and the contaminated water had been taken for testing, the problem still recurred.

       "Therefore, CAP is asking the DOE, the Drainage and Irrigation Department (JPS) and the Kangar Municipal Council (MPK) to investigate the cause of this problem and to disclose to the public the legal action to be taken against those found involved in polluting this river," he said in the same statement.

       He said the Environmental Quality Act 1974 needed to be strictly enforced with the appropriate punishment imposed on those responsible.

       "CAP believes and is worried that if this pollution continues in Sungai Ngulang then there will be more serious pollution in the future and this would affect the breeding of various types of fish in the river, and affect the activities of padi farmers here," he added.

       Earlier, Utusan Malaysia had reported that the waters of Sungai Ngulang had turned black and hundreds of fish were found dead, causing concerns to the local community. - Bernama