Riverbank collapse two kilometres from the Sungai Kerling Mini Hydro Power Station was named as the cause of the recent Sungai Selangor river pollution which affected millions of water consumers in Selangor.
Selangor Menteri Besar, Khalid Ibrahim said that the Selangor Waters Management Authority (Lembaga Urus Air Selangor or LUAS) detected a number of riverbank collapse along Sungai Kerling’s tributaries near the Selangor-Pahang border.
The Sungai Selangor is the water source to four water treatment plants in Selangor, namely Sungai Selangor phase 1, 2 and 3 and Rantau Panjang water treatment plant.
“(The riverbanks) were believed to have collapsed due to heavy rains as no man-made activity was detected in the area,” Khalid said at a press conference after chairing the state exco meeting.
He urged water concessionaire Syabas to ensure that treatment plants are fit to overcome such a problem.
“We also urge LUAS to come out with a contingency plan, where if such incidents happen, the polluted water will flow into a pond,” he said, adding that the plan will be finalised within this month.
Syabas has reportedly said on Monday that the sudden turbidity of Sungai Selangor water could cause a great disturbance to some three-million people in Selangor, as clean water production dropped by 60 percent.
Ijok squatters to get double-storey house
Meanwhile, the allegation that the state has done nothing to assist the 111 squatters from Kampung Sri Aman in Ijok was shot down by Khalid, who says the claim was unfounded.
“The state could only continue with a development plan on October 27, when Shah Alam High Court ruled that the suit between the state and former developer Westmine should be revoked,” said Khalid in a statement.
The Ijok assemblyman blamed the previous state administration for frequently changing their stance on Kampung Sri Aman between 2001 and 2007.
“The state has studied the issue carefully and is now offering each resident a double-storey house, which will be sold at a subsidised price of RM70,000, compared to market value of RM120,000,”
He said the state will also underwrite residents, who do not wish to take up the offer, that their units will be bought back by the state at RM110,000, which would generate a RM40,000 profit for them.
The village, which originally sheltered 169 residents, was subjected to a series of state government flip-flops in which they were offered low-cost housing initially, but the state later retracted the offer.
They were then served with an eviction notice by the 
Kuala Selangor District Council in 2006.
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