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Rotten river odor disrupts life for residents
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Environment & Climate

Rotten river odor disrupts life for residents

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Residents in Kampung Kayu Ara, Mambau, are suffering from a foul odor that has persisted for nearly a month, disrupting their daily lives.
  • The smell, which intensifies during rain and is likened to pig waste, is suspected to stem from water runoff from a private area occupied by foreign workers.
  • Despite multiple complaints to local authorities, residents have not received any feedback and are concerned about the health impacts, particularly for children with asthma and eczema.

A persistent and foul odor is plaguing residents of Kampung Kayu Ara, Mambau, disrupting their daily lives for nearly a month. The stench, which typically begins at dusk and lasts until morning, is believed to originate from water flowing from a private area into a nearby river.

The smell has been happening for a month, before this there was never a smell like this. We don't know the real cause, but suspect it comes from the private area on the hill which has water flowing to this river.

— Rogayah Abdul RaniDescribing the onset and suspected source of the foul odor.

Rogayah Abdul Rani, 69, described the smell as unbearable, noting that it has only recently appeared. She suspects the source is a private land uphill with water drainage leading to the river. "If it rains, the smell gets stronger, making us lose our appetite," she said.

The odor is so strong that Rogayah no longer allows her grandchildren to play near the river, which was once a popular fishing spot. She likened the smell to pig waste, recalling a former pig farm in the area during the early 1990s before it was relocated for development.

If it rains, the smell gets stronger, making us lose our appetite.

— Rogayah Abdul RaniDetailing the intensification of the odor and its impact.

Her daughter, Norafizah Zolkafali, 39, expressed deep concern, especially as her children suffer from asthma and eczema. "For almost a month now, the smell has gotten stronger, to the point where my own children can't stand it," she stated. Norafizah added that the drain was previously clean with clear water.

This smell is like the smell of pig waste discharge because in the early 1990s, there was a pig farm here before it was moved to develop the Seremban 2 area.

— Rogayah Abdul RaniComparing the current smell to past experiences in the area.

Despite repeated complaints to local authorities and relevant agencies, residents have yet to receive any response. Norafizah hopes for an investigation to identify the pollution source and for appropriate action to be taken, ensuring the problem does not recur and affect the local community.

For almost a month now, the smell has gotten stronger, to the point where my own children can't stand it. Before this, the drain was clean and its water was clear.

— Norafizah ZolkafaliExpressing concern about the worsening smell and its effect on her children.
About this summary

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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