Rivers of filth and garbage

Awash in trash: Rubbish such as polystyrene and plastic bags clogging a river trash trap across the Klang River near Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur. -AZMAN GHANI / The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: About 300,000 tonnes of garbage, enough to fill 110 Olympic-sized swimming pools, are being dumped into rivers yearly and the constant pollution is adding to the prolonged water shortage.

Besides the usual floating rubbish tied in plastic bags and polystyrene food containers, the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) has also found all sorts of junk, including old fridges, discarded mattresses and kitchen utensils, in rivers.