Kuala lumpur: The Kedah Department of Environment (DOE) has detected an illegal solid waste disposal site involving open burning activities in Bukit Banyan, near here. State DOE director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab said an investigation was carried out at the site after the department received public complaints yesterday about the smell of burning in the area.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, investigations found illegal dumping of domestic or solid waste on a plot of land that had been cleared of vegetation. The area covered with waste spans about 250 square meters, with smoke detected at the site, believed to originate from open burning by individuals seeking to recover valuable metals from the waste.

Further investigations revealed that the disposal site was operating without written approval from the Environment director-general. The activity is believed to be carried out by a contractor collecting domestic waste from industrial areas in the district. The state DOE has collected solid waste samples to be sent to the Department of Chemistry for laboratory analysis.

The case is being investigated under Section 29A(1) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 for allowing open burning on a parcel of land, and under Section 34A(6) of the same Act for allegedly operating a sanitary solid waste landfill without approval. The state DOE will refer the case to the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) for enforcement and monitoring action under the agency's jurisdiction.