Council, City Hall to put a stop to open burning

The District Council and City Hall are keeping an eye on some private land in the Kobusak area of Penampang and in Kolombong to ensure that the parties staying there do not continue to open-burn.

An individual at the latter property received a compound from City Hall for incinerating his garbage, while those at the former were given strict warnings not to do the same.

Both agencies are also trying to contact the respective landowners to determine if the occupants might be squatters.

They have enlisted the assistance of the Lands and Survey Department to identify the title-holders of these properties.

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Their action was prompted by complaints from rate-payers about the nuisance arising from the incineration activities taking place at both locations.

A Council spokesman said its health inspectors went to the property near Taman Kobusak Indah, a week after becoming aware of the nuisance.

“They found patches of soot in several spots there, where bits of garden waste and other rubbish had been burnt,” he said.

“The occupants were told to stop doing this with immediate affect.”

The occupant receiving a City Hall compound for open-burning.

He said they would be given a grace-period in which to comply with the Council’s instruction.

“Should the problems persist after this then we will work together with the relevant authorities, including the Department of the Environment (DOE), to deal with the culprits.

“However, we will only be able to mobilise a joint-operation of this nature once the movement control order (MCO) has been lifted.”

A DOE spokesman admitted that MCO restrictions were complicating efforts to promptly verify the incidence of open-burning on the property.

“Nevertheless, our officers will make a site-inspection as soon as it is safe for our staff to do so,” he said.

“We are also ever ready to co-operate with the Council to crackdown on any smoke pollution coming from the land.”

He warned that those caught open-burning risked having to pay a compound of up to RM2,000.

“This action can be taken under Section 29(A) 2 or 29B of the Environmental Quality Act 1974.

City Hall personnel taking note of the evidence that incineration has taken place near this Kolombong home.

“Should legal action be initiated, the offenders risk having to settle a maximum fine of RM500, 000, serve a maximum jail term of five years or both.”

HANK of Penampang said the amount of smoke wafting over to Taman Kobusak Indah had increased as more and more individuals began to occupy the adjacent land.

“The number of houses, which have come up on the property, has grown over the past few years,” he said.

“I fear that the occupants have a problem disposing of their refuse properly and are resorting to burning their garbage.”

He said the incineration took place almost every day, with the smoke and fumes from these activities polluting the area.

“This pollution poses a health hazard and has contributed to worsening respiratory conditions, like allergic rhinitis and asthma, especially among our children.

He said previous attempts to resolve the nuisance had, so far, proven unsuccessful.

District Council Inspectors speaking to the occupants about the open burning.

“This is a serious issue which demands immediate attention. It needs to be resolved as soon as possible before the situation deteriorates further.”

Hank related his grievance in a letter to Hotline which was forwarded to the Council and DOE.

Meanwhile, an individual living on a hill overlooking Nelly Plaza, off Jalan Nountun in Kolombong, was compounded for contravening City Hall’s Anti-Litter By Laws.

A spokesman for the agency’s Enforcement Department said this was done after evidence of the incineration activities was found near his home.

When asked about the amount of the compound which was issued, he declined to comment.

“Our agency will keep an eye on this area from time to time,” he said. “If we find that our warnings to stop open-burning have fallen on deaf ears, then further action will be taken.

Under the agency’s Anti-Litter Bylaws, those caught haphazardly disposing of their waste can be compounded between RM100-500.

In extreme cases, they could be brought to court where they risk having to pay a maximum fine of RM5, 000.

RAE of Kolombong said plumes of smoke could be seen in the afternoon coming from the hill near her neighbourhood.

“This has been going on for the past few months,” she said.

“We are forced to keep our doors and windows closed to minimise the nuisance caused by the smoke.”

She said several of her neighbours had developed bad coughs and sore throats.

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Rae worried that this might be a result of inhaling the fumes from the smoke regularly.

“I suspect that the culprits might be burning their garden and household waste to minimise the nuisance created by the mosquitoes which have been buzzing about this area.”

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