LUMUT: Residents at Kampung Batu 10, Segari, want the authorities to resolve the issue of a polluted ditch here, which they say emanates foul stench and causes irritation to their skins.
A resident Zabidi Said, 63, said they have had to bear with the problem for four months now and the situation is made worse with flies swarming around the area.
Zabidi said the ditch is filthy and smelly and believes it is caused by poultry farmers who release water used to clean their chicken coops into the drain.
“The water-pollution and fly problems are affecting our lives,” he said, adding that farmers are worst affected as most of them depend on water from the drain for pesticide application activities on their farms.
He said the water in the ditch was clean and clear before.
“Now, I have to carry water from the house, which is quite a distance away, to do that, and at the same time, I have to deal with flies swarming around,” he said when met by reporters during a media visit to the village.
He hoped the authorities would address the matter soon and not wait until the situation worsened.
Another resident, Pazaer Senawi, 65, who stays at the Sungai Gelam estuary, said the water at the ditch smells of chicken poop, especially during low tide. — Bernama
