'River of life': An attraction soon to become reality

KUALA LUMPUR: The government's intention of turning the rivers of the federal capital into an attraction by 2020 is being materialised with the cleaning works under the River of Life (ROL) project underway.
The river-cleaning project throughout a 110-km stretch is now 86% competed and involved eight rivers, namely, Sungai Gombak, Sungai Keroh, Sungai Batu, Sungai Jinjang, Sungai Bunus, Sungai Klang, Sungai Ampang and Sungai Kerayong.
The initiative covered municipalities under the jurisdiction of the Selayang Municipal Council, Ampang Jaya Municipal Council and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Drainage and Irrigation Department director, Nishad Mohamed C.J. Mohd Shaffy said the water quality index (WQI) at the rivers involved had begun to show changes and were almost towards the targeted Class IIB category, making it safe for recreational usage.
"Previously, the water quality of Sungai Klang was at Class V, the most polluted level. However, after the river-cleaning effort, it has moved to a Class III WQI, with an average reading of 63 per cent," he told Bernama.
He said the cleaning works involved numerous phases, such as the installation of trash traps, and the upgrading of flood catchment ponds, sewage treatment plant as well as sewerage systems.
Nishad Mohamed said RM4 billion had been allocated for the ROL project with RM3.3 billion used for river-cleaning by DID and the Sewerage Services Department, while RM1 billion was for the beautification of riverbanks along the 10.7-km stretch.
He is optimistic that the project would be completed as scheduled and transform Sungai Klang into an iconic city river while using its riverbanks to offer high economic value to the country.
As such, he hoped that the public would appreciate the government's efforts to transform the federal capital into a world-class livable city by preserving the cleanliness of the rivers together.
He said the irresponsible attitude of the public such as dumping rubbish into the river were among the challenges faced by DID apart from weather conditions.
The ROL project that was launched in 2011 under the National Transformation Programme aims to transform eight rivers flowing in the Greater KL/Klang Valley area and in August this year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had launched the first phase of ROL and the Blue Pond Project at the Jamek Mosque. — Bernama