Complaints about polluted rivers flow in from readers

PETALING JAYA: The Star’s special report on the state of the country’s rivers drew responses from readers who named polluted rivers located near them.

They commented on The Star’s social media platforms to identify the rivers and describe the extent of the pollution.

The news report was based on data from the Department of Environment (DoE) which conducts continuous monitoring on the quality of water in the country’s rivers.

On The Star’s Facebook page, readers Gabriel Puah, Gwen Ong, Sharon Rajah and Michael Kok singled out Sungai Klang as among the worst polluted.

“Klang river, where nothing lives. No fish, birds, otters, crocodiles or ducks, but there’s chemicals, plastics and human parts,” said Kok.

Lim complained about Sungai Batu Pahat, which flows through Batu Pahat, Johor, whose waters he said was coloured due to polluted discharge from unknown sources.

Saran Krishnan said Sungai Junjung, which runs near Valdor in Seberang Prai, was also polluted.

Other rivers named included Sungai Perlis, Sungai Pinang in Penang and Sungai Adong in Miri, Sarawak.

The DoE recently released its Environmental Quality Report 2018.

According to the report, the DoE increased the number of rivers it tracks continuously to 638 last year compared to 477 in 2017.

Of the 638 rivers monitored last year, 357 or 56% showed clean water quality, 231 (36%) were slightly polluted while 50 (8%) were polluted.

Sungai Tukang Batu in Pasir Gudang, Johor, continues to hold the record for having the worst Water Quality Index (WQI) with a reading of 22.

A higher WQI reading shows a better water quality.

Two rivers that originate from the Sungai Perak river basin – Sungai Chepor and Sungai Tapah – are the cleanest with both recording a WQI of 94, according to the report.