Three-fold increase in waste due to floods

Speaking to Bernama recently, its Operations engineer Azimie Zakaria said the amount of waste rose from the usual 500 tonnes daily to 1,500 tonnes.

"We (Dengkil Inert Waste Landfill) receive inert waste such as bulk, garden and construction waste and now household items damaged by floods," he said.

To ensure the smooth process of post-flood waste management, he said the operating hours at the 145-acre landfill, which was opened in 2004, had been extended by five more hours from 8 am to 11 pm.

"We hope to speed up the process to clear the trash piled up on roadsides and in makeshift dumps in residential areas," he said.

Azimie said most of the waste trucks were three-tonne Roro vehicles operated daily by Sepang branch KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd (KDEB) cleaning workers.

"For residential areas, workers will collect all types of damaged items. It is quite difficult to use machines like backhoe because it will block the entry and exit of the residents," he said.

A Roro truck would make five trips daily from a residential area to the landfill, he added.

"Before the floods, 200 to 300 Roro lorries entered the landfill per day, but now the number can reach up to 400 a day. On average, one lorry can only carry flood waste from one house," he said.

Azimie said the operating costs were expected to increase by 40 per cent due to the extended operating hours.

Azimie said the waste would be sorted to separate out materials which could be recycled to reduce the amount of rubbish that needed to be disposed of.

"This rubbish will then be compressed using machinery such as a backhoe. After that, it will be covered with red soil to avoid vector insects and odours," he said.

Meanwhile, Sepang branch KDEB chief of Operations Ahmad Fauzan Hushim said the company's routine cleaning task had been temporarily halted to ensure that the damaged items could be brought to the landfill immediately.

He said the company made full use of its assets, namely 34 three-tonne Roro lorries and 136 cleaning workers.

Therefore, he asked every resident to be patient and gave assurance that the company would speed up the cleaning work.