KUALA LUMPUR: Only 53 per cent of rivers in Malaysia are classified as clean, while 42 per cent are categorised as polluted and the remainder are placed in the severely polluted category.
These facts were 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 (UiTM), in their article titled ‘Tercemarnya Hari Air Sedunia dengan Pencemaran Sungai Yang Berterusan’.
According to the article, the issue of river pollution has been rampant of late, which resulted in the disruption of water supply in the Klang Valley.
This stemmed from the lack of education on, and public awareness of, river sustainability, as well as how to properly manage rivers to ensure that the quality of river water is guaranteed
“For instance, this year’s (World Water Day) celebrations saw the Kim Kim River in Johor polluted again. Complaints from local residents and Department of Environment (DOE) monitoring found that pollutants and chemical waste are still at alarming levels.
“In Selangor, river pollution has become a major issue, and it often results in water supply disruptions. On average, every few months there will be cases of river water pollution and water supply disruptions. The industry sector and local communities are affected due to continuous water disruption,” it said.
The article was published in the Bernama Tinta Minda section on the Bernama news portal, in conjunction with World Water Day celebration today.
Although the appropriate measures have been taken by the authorities, many parties are still pointing fingers at the state government, urging it to take drastic action to prevent the recurrence of water pollution.
“This finger pointing attitude 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 celebrations may be considered unsuccessful as long as many still mismanage and do not appreciate this limited and irreplaceable resource,” the article said.
World Water Day is celebrated on March 22 every year with this year’s theme being ‘Appreciating Water’.
The full article can be accessed in the Tinta Minda column via the Bernama website, www.bernama.com. – Bernama
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