The villagers from Kampung Sahom claim that a nearby mine has been dumping waste and runoff from its activities into the Kepar river, killing off wildlife and ruining the village’s small eco-tourism industry. — Pictures by Farhan Najib

KAMPAR, Aug 4 — Over 100 villagers in Kampung Sahom near here have called on the authorities to investigate and act against a mine they suspect has caused the murky, greyish and teh tarik colour of the Kepar river.

The villagers claim that the nearby mine, hidden deep in the oil palm plantation, has been dumping its waste into the river, killing wildlife and ruining their fledgling eco-tourism industry.

While they are still unsure about the mine’s activities and legal standing, they want the authorities to act rapidly before the river sustains more damage.

Village spokesman Mohd Lot Abdul Hamid said the villagers noticed problems with the river water starting the middle of last year.

“The water is usually murky after heavy rains. But we started noticing that the water became heavily discoloured during the hot and dry season, and that didn’t make sense,” he told reporters after taking them on a site visit today.

Village spokesman Mohd Lot Abdul Hamid (centre) says the villagers from Kampung Sahom started noticing problems with the water from the Kepar River in the middle of 2017. Picture taken in Kampar August 4, 2018.

“We started looking around and found this mine hidden in an oil palm plantation. It’s strange because we don’t see lorries moving by day. We don’t even know when the mining activities started, or if it even legal,” Mohd Lot said.

During the site visit, reporters saw grey and brown water flowing downstream into a channel of the Kepar river from the direction of the mine.

The contrast was most stark when two channels of the same Kepar river intersected downstream. The one from the mine’s vicinity was discoloured while the other that flowed from a different section upriver was clear.

“You can even see how the rocks in the polluted water have become discoloured. They have a brown rusted colour, and it doesn’t look natural,” said Mohd Lot.

The villagers’ concern revolve around the pollution’s impact on the surrounding ecosystem and their home eco-tourism industry, which consists of chalets and resorts that sit near the riverbanks.

Riha Chalet operator Khariri Abd Hassan said his establishment had seen a 50 per cent drop in arrivals since the waters changed colour.

“People come here to see the river, and some of them wade in with inflatable floats and tubes. But once they see the water, they don’t want to stay here anymore.

“Many people like to fish as well. Last time, we could easily get 20 to 30 ikan tengas at a time, but now it’s so difficult to even catch one.”

“We worry that they are dying because the small prawns they feed on are dying as well,” said Khariri, a retired military major.

Ikan tengas, called the copper mahseer in English, is a type of carp and fetches a high price in the market. The price per kilogramme can even be in the hundreds of ringgit, depending on the season.

Over 100 villagers from Kampung Sahom hold placards in protest, urging the authorities to act against mining activities along the Kepar river in Kampar, August 4, 2018.

Mohd Lot said he had reported the problem to the Department of the Environment in June but had not seen any action taken so far.

Also present at the site visit was Perak Association for the Protection of Natural Heritage of Malaysia chairman Sajeeda Muhamad, who urged the authorities to act quickly.

“I was shocked and saddened to see the condition of the river. Rivers are our treasures and we hope the authorities take action as soon as possible,” she said.

When contacted for a response, state Education, Technology, Science and Environment committee chairman Abdul Aziz Bari said he would call up the relevant agencies to discuss the matter next week.