Govt to close down 16 ‘critical” dumpsites

Monday September 17, 2007
MYT 10:34:28 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has identified 16 “critical” dumpsites that need to be closed immediately, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The Deputy Prime Minister said this would be done in a safe, sanitary and environmentally friendly manner and that RM160mil had been approved for this purpose.

“We have appointed a consultant to do a study. We should be ready to award the contracts by next year,” he said Monday at the rehabilitated Taman Beringin Landfill, which he described as a "model".

“This is a fine example. I wanted to see for myself what they had done, and it is obvious we have local technical capacity. We have the technology to turn something smelly and stinking into a pleasant, clean place with a potential to become a park."

“It is a matter of pride when a local company can carry out a job like this. We don’t need foreign expertise for this,” he added.

The Taman Beringin dumpsite was a 40m mountain of rubbish last year but it has now been transformed into a green hill with a great view of the city. Cypark Sdn Bhd carried out the RM33mil restoration work.

Asked about the time frame to close all 16 dumpsites, which are mostly located within the Klang Valley, Najib said:

“We want it done as soon as possible but this depends on when the contracts are awarded and the time needed (to close and restore it).”

Najib said if there were a need for new ones, they would either be sanitary landfills or incinerators.

“We are looking at the possibility of using incinerators. But if we want to use incinerators, we must use the appropriate technology,” he added.

He said the Government had received various proposals that were being studied by a technical committee under the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

The Government, he said, was committed to protecting the environment and that Kuala Lumpur needed more green lungs so that it would be known as a garden city.

Cypark CEO Daud Ahmad said it would take about 10 years for the restored dumpsite to be safe for recreational park.