Tackle river pollution now or risk facing severe water shortage, warns expert

A worker clearing debris in Sungai Skudai, which is one of the dirtiest rivers in Johor. — Filepic

Johor government must address problems related to river pollution in the state to prevent severe water crises in the near future.

Environmental consultant and Green Earth Society adviser Joel Lawrence Jayasunthar said the issue of polluted rivers in the state had been going on for many years.

He said the repeated shutdown of water treatment plants over the years because of river contamination by industries was testimony to the seriousness of the problem.

“The authorities need to act fast to tackle the problem or else the people will have to pay a heavy price and face the consequences of water shortage,” Joel said when contacted.

He said industries should be monitored and held accountable for all practices, including pollution and waste management.

He stressed that the state government must give enough attention to environmental management and conservation as well as take an inventory of all industries in the state.

“The move should involve both legal ones and those operating without the necessary approvals.

“The state government should then formulate a policy on sustainable development and use legislation to get these industries to comply,” he added.

Joel said educating and creating better awareness among the public should be an ongoing process.

“The authorities can work closely with non-governmental organisations as they are a good source of reference, thanks to being the link between the government and community,” he highlighted.Safe Johor River founder Poh Pai Yik attributed river pollution in the state to economic activities along riverbanks.

He said this included illegal sand mining, vegetable farming, poultry rearing, animal husbandry, cultivation of commodity crops such as oil palm and rubber, and deforestation.

“Residents, including squatters living along the riverbanks, are also treating rivers as dumpsters by throwing rubbish into the waterways,” he said.

He added that there were 13 squatter settlements, including foreigners living along Sungai Skudai and Skudai Tebrau, which are among the dirtiest rivers in Johor.

Poh said the state government should take proactive steps to free the riverbanks from economic and human activities as well as squatters.

“The authorities must take stern action against those found encroaching into the 50m buffer zones on both sides of the riverbanks in Johor,” he said.

Poh said failure to observe regulations, insufficient laws to protect water resources and lack of enforcement were main reasons people encroached into the zones.

“Buffer zones along rivers are important to improve water quality and reduce water pollution,” he said.

He added that the zones should be left intact with vegetation such as grass or secondary forest, which would help prevent silt from flowing into the waterways.