PERAK PLANS WASTE-TO-ENERGY PLANT EXPANSION TO TACKLE LANDFILL CRISIS

KAMPAR, May 9 (Bernama) – The Perak state government is planning to expand the construction of Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants in strategic locations to address the growing solid waste management challenges, says State Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Sandrea Ng Shy Ching.

She said the government was actively exploring new solutions to overcome landfill space constraints through the solid waste management committee.

She highlighted that WTE plants offered a sustainable alternative to traditional sanitary landfills, especially with rising waste generation year by year.

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"Currently, the Manjung Municipal Council (MPM) is constructing a WTE plant in Teluk Mengkudu, Segari, which is expected to begin operations by year-end.

"This facility will utilise anaerobic digestion technology to convert solid waste into electrical energy," she told reporters after visiting the Kampar District Council (MDKpr) landfill and dog pound in Jeram today.

Ng stressed that the state must carefully assess various factors before approving new WTE plants, including waste volume and population density in respective municipalities.

"We must consider daily waste collection rates – Manjung processes over 300 tonnes daily, while Kampar only manages around 60 tonnes.

"High-density areas will be prioritised for WTE development to maximise impact," she said.

Earlier, Ng encouraged dog owners to participate in the Perak Pawsitive Initiative, a state campaign offering RM100 subsidised neutering (compared to the original price of RM150-180) to reduce stray populations.

“Our study found that stray dogs are often born to pet dogs whose owners eventually release them when they become too many and unmanageable. This subsidised price applies regardless of dog size or breed," she added.

-- BERNAMA