Published on: Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Kota Kinabalu: The problem of sewage from commercial and residential premises flowing unchecked into the sea off Tanjung Aru will be a thing of the past when a RM15 million project is completed next month.
Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim, who gave this assurance, confirmed that the fibrous smelly green substance that had begun enveloping many areas of the two-kilometre prime tourism spot from the end of a five-star resort to near the airport runway was algae.
He attributed this to an overflowing septic tank which caused the sewage to flow into the drain and thence to the sea.
Iliyas said it was also identified that most of the pollutants discharged were from the hawker stalls, the clubhouse and private premises. "Temporary septic tanks serving the stalls will be immediately desludged to reduce the sewage overflow."
He said a new sewerage line was being constructed to pump the sewage straight to the Inanam sewerage pond. "The project started two years ago and will be completed in a month's time".
"When completed, all sewage effluents from along the route will be connected to this new sewer main," he said.
"We are taking every measure to overcome this problem. City Hall (staff) today (Monday) went to the beach to clean up the algae in order to reduce the foul smell emitted from it," he said. Four lorries with workers were sent to scoop up the green matter.
On why it took so long to complete the project, City Hall Director of Engineering, Lee Tet Fon, said building the sewerage line was a long process as it had to pass through several locations.
"From Tanjung Aru it will be pumped into Sembulan and to the Karamunsing Harbour City before being pumped to Tanjung Lipat and the Inanam sewerage É it is a long process and takes time to complete.
"We are at the second phase at the moment where the sewerage line to Harbour City has been completed. Hopefully next month, we will be able to complete the line," he said.
Meanwhile, Environment Protection Department Director, Yabi Yangkat, said City Hall and the Federal Department of Environment (DoE) are the ones responsible for addressing the problem.
He said maintenance of the sewerage treatment plant or system comes under City Hall's purview while compliance to the environmental standards stipulated under the Environmental Quality Act is under the Federal Department of Environment (DoE).
He said the green matter was due to excessive amounts of nutrients (sewage effluents) being discharged into the beach area, a process called eurtrophication (unusual bloom/growth of green algae).
State Tourism and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said what was highlighted by Daily Express in its front page report should serve as a timely reminder to all enforcement agencies tasked with protecting Sabah's delicate environment.
"I welcome more media highlights of man-made problems and our apparent oversight or even our failure to address them effectively so that they help to educate the public at large that it's the duty of all of us who love Sabah to take care of our beloved State," he said.
These reports also, he said, help to keep the authorities and everyone on their toes.
