Batu Ferringhi beach has been seeing fewer tourists since the emergence of black patches along its shoreline.
The New Straits Times reports that the number of people at the popular Penang holiday destination this Malaysia Day was only half of what it used to be in previous years.
The black substance was first spotted seven months ago at the Sungai Batu Ferringhi estuary. The NST followed up on this with a report highlighting a black, foul-smelling stream polluting the river.
Recent checks by the NST, however, found that the stench was gone.
The report quoted water sports operator, Abdullah Nobulnah, 28, as saying that tourists are refusing to swim.
“Every year on Malaysia Day, there are thousands of tourists on the beach, but this year, there is only half of the usual number.
“Many are refusing to swim in the sea due to noticeable black patches along the shoreline.”
Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) – the government-owned sewerage company – had admitted that a loose valve in the aeration tank resulting in effluent gushing out into the river for 20 minutes.
The Department of Environment (DoE) is reportedly taking water samples on a weekly basis to make sure dangerous bacteria is not discharged into the sea.
