RM250m project to keep Sg Perak from becoming garbage dump
KUALA KANGSAR: The Environment and Water Ministry is confident that the Sungai Perak Integrated River Basin Development (PLSB) Phase 1 project, which costs RM250 million, can save the river from becoming a garbage dump.
Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said that currently, the river was categorised as Class One by the Environment Department (DOE).
Efforts to beautify and conserve its surrounding areas must be done immediately so it will not be polluted like other rivers.
“There are many rivers in the country which are no longer categorised as Class One, but we find Sungai Perak here still able to maintain a high level of cleanliness.
“Our strategy is that when the riverside area is alive, it will be taken care of by anyone, including the community and NGOs.
“In that way, we hope this river will not become a garbage dump,” he said.
Sungai Perak is the second longest river in Peninsular Malaysia after Sungai Pahang. The 400km river begins at the Perak-Kelantan-Thailand border.
Currently, rivers are categorised into five classes by the DOE — I, II, III, IV and V — with Class I considered good and Class V the most polluted.
Tuan Ibrahim said under Phase 1 of PLSB, there were 11 main components including floodmitigation projects, living rivers and environmentally friendly drainage.
For the flood-mitigation component, he said the projects were the Sungai Siput Chandan Flood Mitigation Plan, Kampung Gajah Flood Mitigation Plan, Teluk Intan Phase 2 Flood Mitigation Plan and Lenggong Flood Mitigation Plan.
“The living river component involves four projects, namely Living River Batak Rabit, Living River Bike Trail Kuala Kangsar, Living River Sungai Bidor as well as the River Corridor Restoration Plan for Perak Tengah and Kuala Kangsar districts.
“The final component is the Kuala Kangsar environmentally friendly drainage project,” he told reporters after opening a 25km Living River Bike Trail from Chenderoh to Victoria Bridge here yesterday.
He said in line with the ministry’s vision of building 137km of river trails this year, the Drainage and Irrigation Department, in collaboration with the state government, had taken the initiative to build the bike trail.
“The objective of the bike trail project along Sungai Perak is (to provide) a nature-based solution. Indirectly, it aims to inculcate a sense of responsibility among the people to preserve the river.
“If this project is developed systematically, it will also boost tourism and mobilise domestic economic activity,” he added.
The RM2 million Living River Bike Trail Project from Chenderoh to Victoria Bridge was completed on Dec 6, about a year after the project kicked off on Oct 21, 2019.