Environment in Tawau

Environmental Hotspots Survey for the district of Tawau : http://www.iczm.sabah.gov.my

Contamination of drinking water

The maintenance of water storage tanks is very important. It is important to monitor the management office of housing estates to make sure regularly cleaning of the water storage tanks. And that the water supply system is maintained in good condition.

2006 in Taman Semarak, after many months of water leakage, the management finally replaced a new water tank. This old tank (photo left) being un-reusable , was cut down in smaller pieces of scrape iron for easy transport.

Upon cutting open this big water storage tank, the scene of the inside of the tank was a trill to see - seriously rusted with thick mud condensation.

No individual in Taman Semarak, nor heath personal from a department to monitor or supervisor this water storage tanks ever since. Residents in the flats seem have no doubt about the cleanliness of the water supply system in their building.

This is what they drink for many years (photo left) - water from a rusted and muddy tank - as a result of poor conscious in clean water supply.

Now a day water storage tanks are build of PVC material. But before the 1980's water storage tank were build of mater and joint by bolt and nuts.
These type of water tanks (photo left) still remain in use in several old housing area in Tawau. One of such metal tank that can easily seen (used by local as landmark) is the one standing tall across the road behind Holy Trinity Church.

Rubbish pollution is a growing problem and cause environmental degradation. While education standard in Sabah is improving, standard of living environment in some districts are degrading.

In certain towns, solid waste collection is inadequate and supervised by inefficient officers. Litter is a major concern in most towns. Even international tourist destination areas such as the seas within the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park in Sabah are frequently filled with floating garbage from the city nearby.

The solid wastes in poorer districts are typically ends up in urban drains or rivers.

4) Seaside Pollution - Serious plastic / garbage population at Batu Payung Beach, Tawau

Click on above photo to see close up image of PVC pollution
Agent of pollution :	Village Dwellers
Primary environmental impact :	Disturbance of the environment - discarded PVC (plastic)
Secondary impact on ecosystem :	Breeding site for diseases and pests
Degree of seriousness :	Poor public moral of local folks
Action taken by town board :	No

<27-6-2006> Prevailing Problem - Despite of certain effort including gotong-royong and regularly scheduled cleaning up of city streets, garbage collection and disposal by the Local Authorities to keep our town/city clean, if you go around the city/major towns or housing estates, bottles, cups, wrappers, cigarette butts, and other forms of litter are so common accumulating on the sidewalks, back lanes of commercial areas, in parks, playgrounds, roadsides, and in and along the banks of drains and streams. Mounts of rubbish are seen strewn under stilt houses of water village. It is a common ugly scene to see rubbish strewn all over at the bin centers. Rubbish is washed ashore resulting littered beaches. It is also not uncommon to see littering caused by people in vehicles by spitting and throwing cigarette bugs, tissue paper and even drinking cans.

Environment in Tawau

air pollution from industrial and vehicular emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation; smoke/haze from Indonesian forest fires; discarded PVC (plastic)

1) Air Pollution

Haze In Tawau Worsens Tawau haze reached a record of 132 on Tuesday 3rd October 2006, an unhealthy level with the Air Pollution Index (API). More...

2) Water Pollution


Agent of pollution :	Residents of Taman Semarak
Primary environmental impact :	Water pollution - discarded PVC (plastic)
Secondary impact on ecosystem :	Depletion of fish and aquatic organisms.
Degree of seriousness :	Breeding site for malaria
Action taken by town board :	No

3) Land Pollution


Agent of pollution :	Students from near by SMK
Primary environmental impact :	Disturbance of the environment
Secondary impact on ecosystem :	Breeding site for diseases and pests
Degree of seriousness :	Poor public moral of students
Action taken by town board :	No

Department of Environment to open branches in Tawau soon

By SHANE SHAH September 11, 2004

The Department of Environment (DOE) is expected to open branch offices in Tawau and Sipitang soon.

State DOE Director Puan Halimah Hassan said in an interview on 11 September 2004 that the department had established branch office in Sandakan that was officially opened on September 1st 2003.

“We hope to establish another branch office in Tawau as scheduled by middle of next year,” said Halimah, adding, “we are now finalizing the necessary papers and relevant documents. We will set up branch office in Sipitang after we had established our office in Tawau,” said Halimah.

“Department of Environment (DOE) Labuan is operating under the Federal Territory and reports direct to Kuala Lumpur,” said Halimah. “We will request from the government to establish more branch offices in other major districts throughout the state and recruit additional manpower whenever and wherever necessary, In the meantime, we will do our level best to monitor the situation and to educate motorists to comply with regulations under the DOE Act,” she said.

Halimah advised motorists in all major towns in Sabah to observe the anti pollution regulations and give close co-operation to the department to reduce air and environmental pollution from vehicles emitting excessive black smoke.

She said they would set up constant roadblocks with other enforcement agencies like the Road Transport Department (RTD) and police along main roads in major districts in the state.

Halimah reminded members of the public refrain from open burning in their respective neighborhoods because their irresponsible action would contaminate the air and environment.

The DOE headquarters was set up in Kota Kinabalu in 1981. The department will increase its manpower especially in the technical and enforcement duties unit based on the great demand and responsibility to monitor air and environmental pollution of the vast area in the state.

INDEX : Environment 31-1-2008 April 25, 2008 02:22:12 PM