Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) said the temporary stop on operations should continue until zero-discharge systems are implemented as required under state law.

This came after the Lestari Khazanah Alam (Lekas) group highlighted the condition of Sungai Kreh, a river in Tasek Gelugor, Butterworth, which became polluted due to excess pig faeces from upstream farms near Kampung Selamat.

A source from the state Irrigation and Drainage Department told FMT that Sungai Kreh remained a “Class V” river, which is a dead river with no water flow or one that is heavily polluted.

The river was the main source of water for agrarian villages which relied on it for padi and oil palm farming.

SAM president Meenakshi Raman said the issue should not be taken lightly as it had long-term negative impacts.

“The adverse effects are not only on public health and well-being but also (on the) water, air and soil quality.

“Strict enforcement should be taken by all relevant agencies to protect the environment. If this pollution is not curbed, it will affect the reputation of the state of Penang and its ‘Cleaner, Greener Penang’ initiative will just remain a slogan.

“Therefore, the actions and suggestions by the environment ministry are very much needed and we support the proposal to temporarily stop the operation of the pig farms in Kampung Selamat for the sake of environmental protection and the well-being of the people.”

Over the weekend, the environment and water minister’s political secretary Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki proposed a pause to pig farm operations pending a closed system where waste can be properly discharged.

“My minister will write a cross-ministerial memo so that the piggeries’ operations are stopped until there is a solution,” he was quoted as saying.

The Lekas group estimated about 130,000 pigs in the vicinity of the river, with about 40 litres of waste discharged by each animal daily.