20/09/2012 (Bernama) - The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, through the Department of Environment (DOE), continues to monitor and increase enforcement on sources of pollution as provided under the Environmental Quality Act 1974, including 34 palm oil mills operating in the Sungai Kinabatangan basin.

Its deputy minister, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup said, five legal actions were taken on palm oil mills from January 2010 to August 2012 for not complying with requirements under the act in addition to six compounds, 22 instruction notices and 27 instruction letters.

"Based on the department's river water quality records, the Kinabatangan basin is moderately polluted and registers between 73 and 90 on the Water Quality Index (Class II to Class III based on the National Ambient Air Quality Standards)," he said in a speech at the ministry's function with the media, here last night.

He said various efforts were jointly carried out with the state government to tackle river pollution, which included implementing the Kinabatangan Basin Water Quality Improvement and Pollution Prevention Action Plan and Strategy.

He said this when asked to comment on Sungai Kinabatangan, Sabah's longest river with a 16,799km catchment area, which is reportedly polluted by palm oil mill activities.