Don’t get mad, get paid: the Penang state government is not going to shy away from demanding compensation from those responsible for contaminating the waters off the Batu Ferringhi beachfront with deadly E. coli bacteria.
Traces of E. coli were found in the initial sampling process conducted by local authorities. The waters in Batu Ferringhi have lately turned black with an odious smell, prompting complaints and calls to close the beach. However, no directive to close the area to the public has been issued.
State environment committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) has been instructed to quickly perform cleanup operations on the tourist attraction.
“In a meeting with the higher-ups from the Department of Environment (DOE), we have established Indah Water Konsortium had a part to play in this matter. The discharge may have caused the emergence of the dark effluence, which gave the seawater a blackish appearance,” said Phee.
Phee did not commit to stating whether or not the Penang government would cordon off the beach to the public.
Related: Seawater at Batu Ferringhi beach turns black, could be E. coli
Source: The Malay Mail Online
