KUALA SELANGOR: Efforts are under way to make the country’s rivers a reliable alternative source of clean water.
This would entail raising the quality of the water to a level that renders it clean enough for recreational activity.
At that level – Class 2B – it would cost only 16 sen to 17 sen to treat a cubic metre of water to make it fit for consumption, making it cost effective.
By comparison, it could cost as much as RM3 to treat just one cubic metre of Class 3, 4 or 5 water (hazardous and unsuitable for body contact) to make it suitable for human consumption.
Md Khairi Selamat, the director of river basin zone management at the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID), today said the first step is to raise the quality of water from Class 3, 4 and 5 to Class 2B.
Among the steps that can be taken to achieve this is to ensure that wastes are not dumped into rivers.
He said 62% of the country’s natural waterways had already been raised to Class 2B and the plan is to achieve 100% by next year under the River of Life (ROL) project under the auspices of the National Economic Transformation Programme.
“We are seeing positive results but many things still need to be done,” he added.
Khairi said the response from stakeholders was also very encouraging, with many non-profit organisations joining in the campaign to end the dumping of wastes into the river.
“The mission is to rehabilitate and restore these rivers to a state where they can be sustainably support green and recreational spaces and improve urban liveability,” he said.
Khairi was speaking to reporters after launching the “Green Award” in collaboration with EcoKnights, a non-profit organisation that promotes sustainable development, at the Jungle Lodge Alang Sedayu, Gombak.
