KERATAN AKHBAR BERKAITAN ALAM SEKITAR 6 OGOS 2021

 1.        Krisis bekalan air di Kuala Nerus, Kuala Terengganu berlarutan tujuh hari lagi

5 Ogos 2021

 

 

KUALA TERENGGANU - Krisis gangguan bekalan air yang melibatkan 28,700 akaun di sekitar Kuala Nerus dan Kuala Terengganu sejak Isnin lepas (2 Ogos) dijangka terus berlarutan dalam tempoh tujuh hari lagi.

Bagaimanapun, kerajaan negeri memberi jaminan semua penduduk di kawasan yang terjejas itu akan tetap mendapat bekalan air bersih melalui beberapa inisiatif yang telah disediakan menjelang kerja pembaikan siap pada Rabu depan.

Exco Infrastruktur, Kemudahan Awam, Utiliti dan Teknologi Hijau negeri, Dr Mamad Puteh berkata, sebanyak 20 unit lori tangki telah disediakan dengan bantuan daripada operator negeri melalui Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara (SPAN).

"Antaranya Pengurusan Air Pahang Berhad, Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd, Lembaga Air Perak, Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad, Syarikat Air Johor, Syarikat Air Darul Aman dan Syarikat Air Negeri Sembilan yang akan meneruskan bantuan penghantaran air ke kawasan terjejas sehingga krisis ini selesai.

"Selain itu, sebanyak 66 tangki statik juga disediakan bagi memudahkan pengguna untuk mengambil bekalan air dari semasa ke semasa manakala tambahan 34 tangki lagi akan ditempatkan secara berperingkat," katanya dalam sidang media di sini pada Khamis.

Hadir sama, Ahli Lembaga Pengarah, Syarikat Air Terengganu (Satu), Dr Burhanuddin Helmi Mohamed dan Pengarah Operasi Wilayah Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara, Ir Azrul Raimee Ramli.

Dr Mamad berkata, krisis gangguan bekalan air kali ini adalah yang terburuk pernah berlaku di Terengganu melibatkan lima kawasan Dewan Undangan Negeri serta 104 Jawatankuasa Pembangunan Keselamatan Kampung (JPKK) dan ia juga adalah kerosakan pam yang pertama berlaku di dasar sungai Terengganu.

Satu sebelum ini memaklumkan bahawa krisis gangguan bekalan air itu adalah disebabkan pam bersaiz 1,200 milimeter pecah di dasar Sungai Terengganu pada awal pagi Isnin lepas.

Tempoh pembaikan agak rumit dan memerlukan kontraktor berpengalaman serta berkepakaran tinggi untuk membaikinya. Sehingga kini, khidmat 10 penyelam telah digunakan dan kerja pembaikan berterusan selama 24 jam.

 Antara kawasan terlibat di Kuala Nerus ialah Bukit Jong, Maras, Gong Badak, Sungai Ikan, Bukit Berangan, Alur Jambu, Gemuroh, Batu Rakit, Tok Jembal, Ladang Sentosa, Alor Damak, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Bukit Sudu, Pagar Besi, Padang Nenas, Mengabang Telipot, Tepoh, Lingai, Mengabang Telong, Padang Hangus, Bukit Wan, Wakaf Tengah dan Pagar Ubi.

Di Kuala Terengganu pula, kawasan yang terjejas ialah Buluh Gading Masjid, Buluh Gading Dewan, sebahagian Banggol Peradong, Kampung Manir, Banggol Tuan Muda, Kampung Tualang, Petai Bubus, Kebor Air, Paya Datu, Teluk Menara dan Jeram.

Ditanya sama ada kerosakan pam itu berpunca daripada aktiviti mengorek pasir sungai Terengganu yang dijalankan sebuah syarikat, Dr Mamad berkata, siasatan sedang dijalankan oleh beberapa agensi kerajaan seperti Unit Perancang Ekonomi Negeri dan Pejabat Tanah dan Galian Terengganu.

"Berdasarkan maklumat awal, memang ada hakisan di bawah paip yang menyebabkan wujudnya 'kawah' sedalam 10 meter. Siasatan akan dijalankan menggunakan sonar untuk mengenal pasti sama ada 'kawah' itu juga wujud di tempat lain bagi mengelak masalah sama berulang lagi pada masa akan datang," katanya.

Mengulas lanjut, Dr Mamad berkata, kerja-kerja menutup paip yang pecah dengan menggunakan kaedah clamp diharap berjalan lancar untuk memastikan bekalan air dapat disalurkan mengikut jadual kerja yang dirancang.

"Selain itu, Satu juga akan memulakan operasi Loji Bukit Berapit di bawah Projek Kuala Terengganu Utara dengan keupayaan mengeluarkan 50 juta liter sehari (MLD) dalam tempoh dua minggu lagi," katanya. – Bernama

https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/153991/EDISI/Krisis-bekalan-air-di-Kuala-Nerus-Kuala-Terengganu-berlarutan-tujuh-hari-lagi

 

2.      Enam buah rumah rosak teruk dibadai ribut di Kampung Bapong, Lipis

 

5 Ogos 2021

 

 

LIPIS : Sebanyak enam buah rumah rosak teruk di bahagian bumbung dan atap akibat dibadai ribut di Kampung Bapong, Lipis petang hari ini.

Dalam kejadian pukul 5.30 petang, ribut selama hampir 30 minit yang disertai hujan lebat turut menumbangkan pokok buah-buahan, tetapi tidak melibatkan kecederaan dan kemalangan jiwa penduduk di situ.

Mangsa ribut, Kamaruddin Mohamad, 60, berkata, ketika kejadian itu dia sedang berehat di ruang tamu selepas pulang bekerja sebagai pemandu lori di bandar Kuala Lipis.

“Ketika sampai di rumah hujan mula turun lebat dan disusuli angin bertiup kencang, tetapi tidaklah menyangka bertukar menjadi ribut kuat setelah saya mula duduk berehat di ruang tamu.

“Tidak berapa lama angin bertambah kuat disertai hujan lebat dan nampak dahan dan daun pokok di sekeliling rumah bergoyang dan suasana ini kemudian bertukar menjadi ribut dan kami sekeluarga agak cemas,” katanya di Kampung Bapong dekat sini hari ini.

Menurut Kamaruddin, keadaan ribut yang mengganas itu menyebabkan bunyi bising dengan gegaran bumbung dan atap rumahnya serta mula nampak beberapa keping melayang jatuh dibadai ribut.

“Dalam keadaan kelam kabut ini, saya memanggil isteri dan anak berkumpul di ruang tamu, tiba-tiba keseluruhan bumbung dan atap di ruang dapur dan bilik tercabut dan diterbangkan ribut.

“Selepas itu keadaan ruang dapur dan tengah rumah basah dengan air hujan termasuk peralatan dapur dan perabot. Kami hanya mampu mengucap serta berdiam diri sambil melihat rumah jiran juga mengalami nasib yang sama,” katanya.

Kamaruddin berkata, dia bersyukur kerana ahli keluarga termasuk jirannya tidak mengalami kecederaan dan kemalangan jiwa dalam kejadian itu.

“Apapun saya reda dengan ujian Allah SWT yang pertama kali berdepan kejadian ribut ini di samping masih tertekan dengan tempoh Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) dan wabak Covid-19 yang nampaknya masih belum berpenghujung.

“Saya berharap ada pihak tertentu yang dapat membantu membaik pulih kerosakan rumah ini memandangkan pendapatan sebagai pemandu lori tidaklah seberapa serta langsung tidak mampu berbelanja peralatan binaan,” ujarnya. – UTUSAN ONLINE

https://www.utusan.com.my/berita/2021/08/enam-buah-rumah-rosak-teruk-dibadai-ribut-di-kampung-bapong-lipis/

 

 

3.        Lelaki ceroboh hutan simpanan ditahan

5 Ogos 2021

 

 

ALOR SETAR: Seorang lelaki yang leka melakukan kerja-kerja membersih dan meratakan tanah secara haram ditahan di Kompartmen 12, Hutan Simpan Terenas, Sik dekat sini semalam.

Pengarah Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Kedah (JPNK), Muhamad Abdullah berkata, lelaki tempatan berusia 49 tahun itu dipercayai mengambil upah melakukan kerja-kerja tersebut dengan menggunakan jengkaut miliknya.

Menurut beliau, dia ditahan dalam serbuan anggota JPNK pada pukul 10.30 pagi.

Katanya, kerja-kerja tersebut dilakukan bertujuan untuk menanam pokok getah.

“Hasil pemeriksaan mendapati kira-kira satu hektar tanah telah dibersih dan diratakan yang dipercayai dilakukan oleh lelaki itu sejak tiga hari lalu.

“Nilai kerugian akibat kegiatan meratakan tanah dan memusnahkan pokok-pokok hutan secara haram dianggarkan mencecah RM80,000,” katanya dalam kenyataan di sini hari ini.

Muhamad berkata, lelaki terbabit kemudiannya dibawa ke Ibu pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Sik untuk siasatan lanjut oleh JPNK.

Katanya, sebuah jentera jenis Excavotar Sumitomo yang digunakan untuk kerja-kerja tersebut turut disita untuk siasatan.

“Kes tersebut disiasat mengikut Akta Perhutanan Negara 1984,” katanya.

Tambahnya, JPNK komited dan memandang serius aktiviti pencerobohan dan penerokaan hutan simpan kekal di negeri ini terutama mereka yang mengambil kesempatan menceroboh hutan ketika Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP).

“Bagi memastikan salah laku berhubung perhutanan dapat dibendung, jabatan amat mengalu-alukan kerjasama mana-mana pihak atau orang awam bagi menyalurkan maklumat berkaitan sebarang aktiviti kesalahan hutan, penerokaan dan pencerobohan hutan simpanan kekal,” katanya.

https://www.utusan.com.my/terkini/2021/08/lelaki-ceroboh-hutan-simpanan-ditahan/

 

4.        Reduce, keep plastic waste to a minimum

5 Ogos 2021

 

 

LETTERS: Earth Overshoot Day 2021, the date in 2021 when humans have used up the amount of resources that can be renewed by the Earth in a year, came and went on July 29; nearly a month earlier than the date it occurred in 2020.

Even though the Covid-19 pandemic provided a temporary reprieve and pushed back the date of Earth Overshoot Day last year to Aug 22, it only took less than a year for consumption and emissions to be pushed back up as countries slowly went back to business-as-usual.

Having an Earth Overshoot Day signals that we are living beyond our means. It means that we are overdrawing on Earth's resources and leaving less for future generations. We see the consequence of previous years' excesses today, in the issues we are confronting with climate change, pollution, dying coral reefs and dwindling fisheries, just to name a few.

To avoid future catastrophes, we should be aiming to push Earth Overshoot Day backwards in our calendar, towards December 31st. Instead, we are seeing it march inexorably forward. To reverse this march, we need to reconsider and rethink our production and consumption practices, and live within the means of resources that our planet can provide.

Today, one of the most pressing issues plaguing our environment is plastic usage and pollution, particularly single-use plastics. A 2019 study showed that Malaysia was responsible for 7.5 per cent of the plastics flowing into the ocean, putting us ahead of even China, a country of 1.4 billion people with a GDP almost 40 times the size of Malaysia's.

According to a new environmental research released on April 301, more than 1, 000 rivers account for 80 per cent of global annual emissions in plastic, ranging between 0.8 million and 2.7 million metric tonnes per year. Our Klang river in Malaysia is listed as among the world's high emitters of plastic into the ocean. It holds the tie of being the second highest riverine emitter of plastic with India's Uthas river and the Philippines' Tullahan river.

The global use of plastics has outstripped our ability to manage the waste stream. Now, with circumstances surrounding the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, more and more people are opting for take-outs and deliveries. Almost all of our food is wrapped in plastics, and this causes a huge spike in packaging waste generation, primarily consisting of plastics.

For decades, waste management has always been the responsibility of the public and government. However, this system needs further involvement and support to make it more efficient. A revision of the existing system is crucial to ensure greater responsibility right from the producers themselves. This is done through the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, which holds producers accountable for end-of-life products. This means that the producers are responsible for the management of waste produced by their consumers.

The scheme requires governments to enact the EPR guidelines and regulations which require producers to ensure a clean and healthy environment. This begins from product concept and design, to the main production and distribution, and ends at the collection phases. Under the EPR, the responsibility of the manufacturer goes beyond waste treatment and recycling. It starts right at the beginning, from rethinking and redesigning product and packaging designs to reduce waste.

Even though the issue of plastic waste management seems grim, there is a growing momentum for solutions by all sectors. Commitments to a circular economy are gaining traction and there is a growing appetite for change. Policymakers are enacting stringent regulations and policies to address plastic pollution. Further, in Malaysia, the government has enacted a roadmap to zero single-use plastics by 2030.

Paired with this, we see some of the more progressive local enterprises proactively incorporating circularity in their products and packaging by switching to recyclable and recycled materials and adapting a reuse model. The outcome is the waste that we generate is reused or recycled and the EPR scheme provides the mechanism to enable producers and consumers to transform our waste back into products in a responsible manner.

To slow down the advancement of Earth Overshoot Day, we must collectively address the plastics problem in a sustainable way. Simply expanding waste collection, landfill, and incineration is not enough.

The most significant step would be to combine these measures with an absolute reduction of plastic in the system, and a dedicated EPR scheme which holds producers responsible for the waste management of their products. The time to act is now.

WWF-MALAYSIA,Petaling Jaya, Selangor

https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters/2021/08/715292/reduce-keep-plastic-waste-minimum

 

5.         Taaras Beach & Spa Resort employees clean up Pulau Redang beach

5 Ogos 2021

 

 

PULAU REDANG: The Taaras Beach & Spa Resort’s efforts to maintain a clean and safe environment on Pulau Redang in Terengganu, employees of the resort embarked on a series of beach clean-ups to collect washed up rubbish which included tons of plastic from the shorelines and surrounding areas.

Preserving and caring for the sustainability of the marine environment is a conservation initiative close to the heart of the Founder and Chairman of Berjaya Corporation Bhd, Tan Sri Vincent Tan.

With his guidance, the beach clean-ups were carried out by employees of the resort, led by the resort’s Area General Manager, Pravir Mishra. Among the clean-up locations were The Taaras beach, Teluk Kerma, Teluk Sauh, Pulau Lima, Mat Simpang, Tanjung Lang, Pasir Akar, Batu Tok Kong, Tanjong Leboh, Teluk Mat Deloh, Tanjung Gua Kawah, Batu Berole, Batu Chak, Air Jemuruh, Teluk Siam and Teluk Tigi.

From 20 clean-up initiatives, 1,832 trash bags with an estimated weight of 54,960kg were collected and sorted for recycling and disposal at the mainland of Kuala Terengganu. In the history of beach clean-up initiatives carried out by the resort, this has been, by far, the most amount of trash collected.

The collected trash comprised a huge amount of plastic waste, polystyrene and fishing nets discarded by fishermen at sea, ropes and containers - a result of intentional littering and dumping into the ocean. Some trash is also littered on land, which gets washed away by rain into streams, rivers and eventually, the ocean.

The currents and waves then carry the debris and wash them ashore. It is crucial to ensure that washed up trash is cleared from the beaches to prevent them from going back to sea which could affect the growth of corals and endanger the marine life.

“The Taaras Beach & Spa Resort is very supportive and proactive when it comes to conservation and sustainability,” Pravir said.

“It is crucial that we continuously protect and preserve the marine environment together with our beautiful beaches on Redang Island for our future generations. To protect the local marine life is to ensure that visitors from all over the world can continue to enjoy the stunning natural beauty of Malaysia for generations to come.”

https://www.thesundaily.my/local/taaras-beach-spa-resort-employees-clean-up-pulau-redang-beach-video-EM8169969

 

 

 

6.        Sarawak NREB issues open burning warning

6 Ogos 2021

KUCHING: The Sarawak Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) has reminded the people and all industries operating in Sarawak not to conduct any open burning following the current spell of hot weather in the state.

In a statement yesterday, NREB said open burning is the main contributor to the degradation of air quality that could pose a threat to public health and affect the economy

“The current hot and dry weather spell increases the risk of fires occurring in hotspots including peatland areas and landfills,” it said.

Based on the board’s monitoring records, 252 hotspots were detected from January till July this year compared to 201 hotspots in 2020 and 280 hotspots in 2019 for the same period.

“The number is expected to rise if the hot and dry spell continues till mid-September,” the statement read.

NREB said between January and July this year, there was not a day that recorded an air pollution index (API) reading of unhealthy levels in Sarawak, and the air quality was in the healthy and moderate categories.

According to the board, the increase in open burning cases was caused by agricultural activities, land clearing for commercial agriculture as well as forest and bush fires.

“Locals and industry players, especially in the agriculture sector, are advised to conduct zero-open-burning operations and use environmentally friendly methods, including composting and mulching for plant bio-mass disposal and land clearing,” it added.

It said anyone who causes or conducts open burning can be charged under Sections 30(1)(a) and 30(2)of the Natural Resources and Environmental Ordinance 2019, which provides for a fine of up to RM100,000 or five years’ jail, or both. –Bernama

https://www.thesundaily.my/home/sarawak-nreb-issues-open-burning-warning-DD8173270