Sony EMCS Malaysia has organised a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme under its environmental, safety and health campaign -”SAVE THE RIVER” at the Juru Dam Riverside near Bukit Tengah area on 15th October 2011.

Amongst the activities carried out were making and throwing of  mud balls into the Juru River, children drawing contest with its theme  ”Save The River”. More than 200 participants from Sony, MPSP, NGOs and students of SK Permai Indah participated in this environmental awareness and educational programme.  Present at the event today was Sony EMCS Malaysia President Mr Ryuzo Tamayama together with his team of senior managers, Council Secretary Haji Rozali, event facilitator Mr Chew Eng Seng. A total of 7,848 mud balls were produced by Sony staff and thrown into the Juru River.   

The Mud balls are useful as one of the environmental solutions towards reducing water pollutants and thus improving water quality in our rivers and drains. The E.M. ( EFFECTIVE MICROORGANISMS)  fermentation emitted from the mud balls will alleviate or destroy the ammonia nitrogen found in human effluents and sewerage leakages into the water system. These mud balls should be drop at polluted waterways every 4 months.

The local council  MPSP has embarked on the “Cleaner Penang” Initiative and has strongly encouraged  multi-national companies, factories, schools and NGOs to participate in environmental preservation programme. For those who are interested in mud balls making programme or wish to organise  similar CSR programme, kindly contact MPSP’s LA 21 co-ordinator Mr Chew Eng Seng  at 012  4773990 or email him at eschew@mpsp.gov.my.

Below are some snapshots of the event  :-

Students drawing contest in progress..

Selecting winners of drawing contest..

Sony EMCS President Mr Ryuzo Tamayama with the winners of the drawing contest.

Throwing mud balls into Juru river at the Juru Dam Riverside area..

In conjunction with the programme, a mudball making contest was organised  and sponsored by Juru Auto City. It has attracted many participants. Below are some snapshots of the mudball making contest…

MPSP Council President Puan Maimunah  accompanied by Council Secretary Haji Rozali

at the scene to view the mudball making contest..

Selepas sesi penerangan,kumpulan pelajar tersebut pergi ke lapangan di hapadan Sekolah dan membaling EM Mud balls yang disediakan oleh MPSP ke dalam parit ( B/Pit Tok Kangar). Satu demonstrasi menguji kualiti air juga dijalankan serta mengajar pelajar untuk mengisi KAD LAPURAN Sungai dari aspek fizikal sungai di kawasan tersebut.

Aktiviti Gambar :-

SK Permai Indah di Taman Bukit Minyak

Pelajar SK Permai Indah mengikuti program..

Ucapan aluan oleh Cikgu Nor Nawawi, SK Permai Indah

Pelajar membaling “EM Mud Balls” ke dalam parit

Demonstrasi menguji kualiti air sungai

Penolong pegawai JPS sedang memberi penerangan kepada pelajar yang berkumpul di lapangan di B/Pit Tok Kangar di hadapan SK Permai Indah

This field trip has helped to create awareness and exposure to the students on the importance of environment care towards our rivers and waterway.

Below are some snapshots of the students activities at the Sungai Juru Dam area.

Students throwing the mud balls into the waterway near Kedai Tayar Wah Lean, Taman Bukit Minyak.

Whilst we were at the field, we saw two men releasing catfish(Ikan Keli) dan Ikan Haruan into Sungai Juru. According to them, it is to keep the fish alive from being slaughtered out of compassionate ground.

Whilst we were at the site, we saw a large track of floating plants at Sungai Juru Dam Area.- Water hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes).Water hyacinth is a common aquatic floating plant at Sungai Juru. When heavy rains at the upstreams, large quantity of water hyacinth plants being wash down and covers almost the entire water surface of Sungai Juru Dam area and it is visible by motorists along the main road. It is now considered a serious threat to biodiversity. Read more about water hyacinth here http://www.agripinoy.net/water-hyacinth-control-and-possible-uses.html.

Group photo of the students at Sungai Juru Dam area

Participants were given basic theory training on water monitoring which covers three areas ie physical, chemical and biological parameters to determine and audit the health of a river. Participants were also taught to upload the results of water health check of their respective areas into blogs for public information.

Presenting river ranger certificate to participants at the end of the programme by Timbalan Ketua Pengarah JPS Haji Mohd Abu Bakar Bin Othman.

A family were at the river releasing aquarium fish ..?

Dr Kali explaining to participants at botanical garden.

Group A participants with several elderly women also participated actively to learn to be river ranger, what about you ??

Whilst we were conducting the river watch, rubbish like plastic chair were seen floating at the river..

For those interested to join river watch programme, Pusat Sumber Alam Sekitar Daerah Seberang Perai Tengah will conduct the next ( 4th) River watch programme on 12-12-2010 (Sunday) morning at RT Taman Keenway, Jalan Megat Harun Bukit Mertajam. Contact us at 012 4078686/ 012 4779330 for details and confirmation.

Briefing at Pusat Aktiviti RT Taman Kota Permai before going to sites for water testing..

More participants participated in 3rd River Watch..

New members participated and learning to use the water testing kit..

Close-up view of the flap gates at end of Parit 4 joining burrow pit. The group discovered that the auto flaps obviously have been stuck in the silt for a long time and no longer functioning. Over to JPS for repair and maintenance.

The results and findings at the end of the session presented by the 4 groups indicated that water quality at 4 sites remains thirty and polluted.

The coliform test was conducted and the results were All POSITIVE indicative of sewage or fecal contamination.

The next ( 4th) River watch programme will be conducted on 12-12-2010 (Sunday) morning at RT Taman Keenway, Jalan Megat Harun, Bukit Mertajam. For those who wish to learn and participate the next river watch activity, contact us for confirmation at 012 4078686/ 012 4779330.
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Dalam seminar tersebut, Pengerusi Pusat Sumber Alam Sekitar, Encik Ng Tho Heng telah memberi penerangan kepada ahli-ahli jawatankuasa dan peserta ke atas aktiviti pemantauan air yang telah dijalankan sepanjang tahun ini.

Dua wakil daripada Jabatan Alam Sekitar Negeri Pulau Pinang dan pihak penguasa tempatan, MPSP telah dijemput untuk memberi taklimat tentang kualiti air Sungai Juru. Berikut adalah gambar aktiviti dan infomasi yang diperolehi dalam semasa seminar tersebut.

Menyampaikan cenderahati kepada wakil MPSP oleh Adun Padang Lallang

Kualiti air Sungai Stesyen Sungai Juru untuk Bulan Mei 2010

Senarai undang-undang berkaitan dengan pencemaran air

Index pencemaran Sungai Juru 2000-2009

Stesen kualiti air dalam Lembangan Sungai Juru

The highlights of the activity as well as the water testing results are as follows:-

Group Photo with ADUN Padang Lallang YB Michael Tan, MPSP Councillor Mr Oon Neow Aun, Encik Ghani from Jabatan Perpaduan & Integrasi Nasional SPT, Committee Chairman Mr Ng Tho Heng, committee members and participants.

Group 1 participants at Site 1 –End of Parit 4/ Iretex Factory, near Juru Auto City

General View of waterway at End of  Parit 4 behind  Iretex Factory, near Juru Auto City

Another View of waterway  End of  Parit 4 behind  Iretex Factory, near Juru Auto City

Close up View of the waterway as at 27.6.2010

Conducting water quality testing using the test kit on the sample water collected..

Result of River Water Quality Testing on 27-6-2010

Compared to our first site visit three months ago on 21.3.2010, there was general improvements on the physical conditions , the previously red earth service road leading to the site has now been laid with laterite, there was fewer trapped rubbish, bushes and wild vegetation near the banks of waterway has been cut.

Overall, the physical condition of the waterway and its water quality at Site 1 has improved slightly…

Amongst those present include Padang Lallang State assemblyman YB Michael Tan, MPSP Councillor Mr Oon Neow Aun, Committee Chairman Mr Ng Tho Heng, Chief River Ranger Ch’ng Kheng Phong, committee members and many senior citizens..

Here are the highlights of the activity :-

Briefing by Chief River Ranger

Group photo of the participants with YB Padang Lallang, MPSP Councillor

View of Parit 4 at Jalan Nangka bridge, Desa Damai

AWAS !! Water health check in progress !! at Point1 – Parit 4 / Jalan Nangka Bridge

View of the end of Parit 4 nearby IRETEX factory / Juru Auty City area.

Another group conducting water health check at Point 2 at end of Parit 4

Shocking discovery – this is what we have collected, oil sludge, no fish/ invertebrates found. This section of waterway (PARIT 4) is severely polluted and has become a dead river !!

For those who misses this water health programme and wish to join us for next session of water monitoring activity scheduled in June 2010, please contact Mr Ng at 012 4078686 or email him at thng@streamyx.com for more details. All civic minded residents of Penang, senior citizens and students from nearby schools, members of NGOS are welcome to join. What’s more, it is FREE and fun learning outdoor programme !!

Result of River Water Quality Testing on 21-3-2010.

Location

a) Parit 4/ Jln Nangka b) Sg. Rambai/Lrng Tembikai 1 c) End of Parit 4/Burrow pit.

Chemical Water Quality -Variable

1.Dissolved Oxygen a) 2ppm b) 2ppm c)1ppm

2.Nitrates a)<5ppm b) 6ppm c) 3ppm

3.Phosphates a) 2ppm b) 6ppm c) 4ppm

4.Turbidity a) 40JTU b) 20JTU c) 40JTU

5.Temperature c) 28deg.C b) 28deg.C c) 30deg.C

6.pH a)7 b) 3 c) 8

Biological Water Quality Index a) 5 b) 0 c) 0

a)-Agak Kotor b)-Sangat Kotor c)-Sangat Kotor*

Note:

* i.Only black oil sludge; no living invertebrates found.

ii. Brownish discharge flowing from another channel into end of Parit 4.

iii. Surrounding canal bund becomes dumping ground and filthy smell; it is horrible.

iv.Garbage gathered right in front of the water gates; not cleared for quite some time.

A speaker from DID Penang, Encik Rosli were invited to give a presentation and briefing to the participants. After the briefing session, participants were divided into three groups and proceed to the waterway behind the three storey shops at Pusat Komersial Sungai Rambai.

The water health check programme will be officially launched on 27 March 2010 to train individuals, concerned senior citizens and members of NGOs and even students who wish to learn more about how to monitor the water quality of our rivers and waterways in our areas and be a river ranger to keep a close watch on the water quality. The water quality monitoring session will be conducted on quarterly basis at  specified sites. For those who are keen to participate in the forthcoming training session, please contact the MPSP LA 21 secretariat Mr Chew Eng Seng 012 4779330.

Here are some snapshots of the training programme:-

Indoor briefing session

Participants at the water health check training programme

Field works – collecting water for testing

A close up view of the water condition

Conducting water testing…

Group Results of the water testings on chemical monitoring.