DoE orders warehouse at Nyigu industrial area vacated after foul smell complaints from villages

BINTULU (Aug 8): A warehouse in the Nyigu industrial area, storing a large quantity of organic fertiliser, has been found to be the source of the persistent odour that has made life unbearable for nearby villagers for days.

According to Department of Environment (DoE) Bintulu chief Abdul Mazli Hafiz Abdul Malik, the DoE has been monitoring the area for three days following public complaints about the unpleasant smell.

He said that an integrated inspection involving the DoE Bintulu, Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) Bintulu and Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) was conducted this morning at several premises around the Nyigu industrial area.

“DoE has issued immediate on-site instructions for the warehouse to be vacated.

“Further actions will be coordinated and taken under the jurisdiction of the respective agencies involved,” he told The Borneo Post.

He said follow-up monitoring will also be carried out by DoE to ensure that the premises comply with the issued instructions.

“It is hoped that after the warehouse is emptied within the next two to three days, the odour pollution will be resolved, ensuring the wellbeing of the residents around Kampung Baru,” he said.

According to him, the warehouse, which had been operating for a long time, only started storing organic fertiliser for the first time at the end of July.

Abdul Mazli explained that since the stored material is fertiliser and not waste and no fertiliser processing occurs on the premises, they could not act on the smell pollution as the DoE does not have such provision except issuing the instruction to empty the warehouse to avoid further complaints.

He added that DoE has sought assistance from BDA and NREB to determine if there are any violations of their respective laws, and the matter was also referred to the Bintulu District Office for a review of the business licence.

The goal is to ensure that the warehouse’s operations do not continue to cause distress to the local community, he added.