Sg Pinang will be cleaned up in 5 years and cost RM150mil

(The Star) – Sungai Pinang, one of the seven most polluted rivers in Malaysia, will be clean enough to swim in about five years and the cleanup will cost RM150mil.

But before that, 300 families living by the river would have to be relocated, said State Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) director Hanapi Mohamad Noor and this is expected to take two years.

“Once that is done, we will start the rehabilitation works which will take three years to complete.

“The entire project will cost RM150mil,” he told reporters after a 2km tour along the river by boats on Saturday.

Also present were state executive councillors Phee Boon Poh and Law Choo Kiang, Datuk Keramat assemblyman Jagdeep Singh and Sungai Pinang assemblyman Koid Teng Guan.

Hanapi said Sungai Pinang was one of the seven most polluted rivers in Malaysia and had was so polluted that it was once deemed Class V with no marine life before the first phase of its rehabilitation, costing RM20mil, was completed in 2007.

Now the river had improved to being between Class III and IV.

On the relocation of the families, Hanapi said 129 buildings comprising 118 houses, six shops, three stores and two temples and would be affected.

“The state government is working out on the compensation plan for the relocation process,” he said.

Hanapi said the second phase of the river rehabilitation would include building of retention ponds and interceptor drains and installation of gross pollutant traps to increase the river water quality to Class II, increase the river’s biodiversity and turn it into a water source and tourism product and beautification work.

He said a study on the cause of pollution showed the wastes and rubbish found in the river were ‘man-made’.

Law said there was certainly ‘a lot of’ room for improvement after the visit.

“I have told the relevant authorities not to hesitate to take action against those who flouted the rules and regulation by throwing rubbish into the river.

“They can just act according to the law,” he said.

Law said he was shocked to learn that more than 120 metric tonne of rubbish and wastes were scooped out from the river annually.

He urged those with information on river polluters to come forward so that action can be taken against the culprit.