Long term sustainable solid waste collection, management plan in the pipeline for Sarawak

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Dr Penguang Manggil

KUCHING: A study has been completed to provide recommendations for a long term sustainable solid waste collection and management plan for Sarawak, the State Legislative Assembly was told this morning.

Local Government Assistant Minister Datu Dr Penguang Manggil said the findings of the Sarawak Integrated Solid Waste Management study has been submitted to the Local Government and Housing Ministry on July 26.

“Among the recommendations of the study are to propose solid waste management plans for all local authorities to establish transfer stations, optimal and cost effective integrated solid waste treatment facility such as in-situ portable incinerators and sanitary landfills at strategic locations,” he said in a reply to Gerald Rentap Jabu (GPS-Layar) during question time.

In another reply to Awla Dris (GPS-Simunjan), Penguang said the Simunjan District Council has not identified a new waste disposal site as the current site is still able to accommodate more waste.

He said to date only 50 per cent of the existing waste disposal site in Simunjan has been filled, adding that the council had prepared facilities for waste management and to overcome the issues of rubbish littering by building small-scale furnaces in rural areas of the district.

He pointed out that last year about 15 tonnes of waste were collected daily in Simunjan, adding that RM992,310 was spent on waste management in the district with RM825,510 used for rubbish collection while the rest on maintaining waste management site.