Lafarge Cement Sdn Bhd has agreed to bear the cost of cleaning up the homes of residents in three villages affected by dust accidentally released from one of its plants last Monday as a result of repair works on a blocked processing unit.

Factory Manager, Sekar Kaliannan, said Lafarge would follow up by to implement a group insurance coverage for residents in surrounding villages.

State Health Committee Chairman Dr Leong Yong Kong noted that the absence of a sufficient buffer zone between the plant and the villages highlighted the need for the company to improve its environmental protection measures.