‘Only 53pc of our rivers are clean’
ONLY 53 per cent of rivers in Malaysia are classified as clean, 42 per cent are categorised as polluted and the rest are rated as severely polluted. This was revealed by Dr Ismaniza Ismai and Dr Nurul Nadiah Mohd Firdaus Hum of the School of Chemistry and Environment, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi Mara, in their article, Tercemarnya Hari Air Sedunia dengan Pencemaran Sungai Yang Berterusan.
In the article, they said river pollution was rampant recently, resulting in water supply disruptions in the Klang Valley.
They said this stemmed from lack of education on and public awareness of river sustainability and how to properly manage rivers to ensure the quality of river water is guaranteed.
“This year’s (World Water Day) celebration saw Sungai Kim Kim in Johor polluted again. Complaints from local residents and Department of Environment monitoring found that pollutants and chemical waste are still at alarming levels.
“In Selangor, river pollution has become a major issue and often results in water supply disruptions. On average, every few months, there will be cases of river water pollution and water supply disruptions. Industries and local communities are affected by the recurring water disruption.”
The article was published in the Bernama Tinta Minda section of the Bernama news portal in conjunction with World Water Day on Monday.
The article said although appropriate measures had been taken by the authorities, many parties were still pointing fingers at the state government, urging it to take drastic action to prevent the recurrence of water pollution.
“This finger pointing does not solve the pollution or water supply issues. There should be cooperation between the community and the authorities; both parties must work together to ensure sustainability of water resources.
“The annual World Water Day celebration will be unsuccessful as long as many still mismanage and do not appreciate this limited and irreplaceable resource.”
World Water Day is celebrated on March 22 every year. This year’s theme is “Appreciating Water”.
The full article can be accessed at bernama.com.