Four new landfill cells in Malacca: Noh

MALACCA: The Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government (KPKT) Ministry will build four new landfill cells at the Sungai Udang sanitary landfill site, worth RM61.5 million, said its Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar.
The four cells are being built as the present landfill site had reached its maximum capacity, with the construction of the first cell, which began yesterday on 1.82ha of land at a cost of RM16.5 million, expected to last for 18 months.
"These cells will be built in stages with the second and third cells, which sits on a 7.16ha area and costing RM45 million expected to run early next year and are capable of lasting for two years," he told reporters after conducting a site visit to the Sungai Udang landfill area here today.
Also present were Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron, KPKT secretary-general Datuk Mohammad Mentek and State Housing, Local Government and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ismail Othman.
According to Noh, the three cells called, 1A, 1B and 1C, were located beside the present landfill site and plans were underway for the construction of a fourth cell, 1D, that would be equipped with an incinerator system on a 4.6ha land, within a period of two years.
The Sungai Udang sanitary landfill, which started its operation in April 2015, received more than 1,000 tonnes of waste per day. It was expected to last for five years but had reached its critical level in April this year.
However, Noh who was not happy to know that the landfill area had reached its critical level in a short period had ordered for detailed investigation on the matter.
He said, based on his observation, the material recovery facility did not function well in separating waste and there were only two sewage treatment ponds, instead of three which were to be set up in the original specifications. — Bernama