SHAH ALAM – The proposal to expand pig farming activities in Kuala Langat, even if only temporarily before being relocated to Bukit Tagar, Hulu Selangor has raised concerns about the increased risk of zoonotic disease transmission, including swine influenza, to humans.
Public Health Medicine specialist Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said the spread of swine influenza could occur if biosecurity control was weak, especially since problems at the existing farming site have persisted since 2010.
"This matter should not be taken lightly as it involves long-term public health risks.
"Large-scale farming also risks causing environmental pollution which can affect quality of life due to the strong odour from farms and the release of ammonia or methane," he told Sinar.
He said large-scale farming operations could also result in groundwater and river pollution due to animal waste and the use of antibiotics.
He added that it could also increase the risk of noise pollution and the breeding of vectors such as flies and rats, which would directly affect the well-being of nearby communities.
Therefore, he said the proposal to make Kuala Langat a temporary site for pig farming activities was indeed inappropriate given that issues related to pig farming in the area have persisted since 2010 without any permanent solution.
He added that the failure of basic management for more than a decade proves that the proposal to expand farming activities would only worsen the existing conflict.
Commenting on whether the odour and pollution problems in the area can be controlled, Dr Zainal believed it would be difficult to fully manage in the local context due to weak enforcement and limitations in large-scale waste treatment technology.
However, he stressed that if the large-scale farming project was still to proceed, several minimum conditions must be met before operations are allowed.
"Among these conditions are the implementation of an Environmental Impact Assessment and public health risk assessment, the use of a closed waste treatment system with no discharge, the setting of a minimum distance of 500 metres to one kilometre from residential areas, and the provision of a disaster management plan.
"Financial guarantees must also be provided for site rehabilitation after operations end so that environmental impacts are not borne by the government and the public," he said.