Selangor govt taking steps to control river pollution in Sungai Buloh

SHAH ALAM - The Selangor government, through the Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas), is implementing several measures to control river pollution in Sungai Buloh.

State Tourism, Environment, Green Technology and Orang Asli Affairs chairman Hee Loy Sian said industrial, commercial, housing, animal husbandry and aquaculture activities in the area have contributed to increased effluents in the river, thus reducing water quality.

Following the issue raised in a recent television programme regarding river pollution in Sungai Buloh, he said the state government did not deny that it was influenced by, among others, the quality and condition of the river basin.

Among the measures taken by the state government were carrying out periodic cleanliness surveys, developing the Sungai Buloh Action Plan and implementing controls for the entry or release of polluting substances with the setting of parameter limits, he said in a statement today.

As a long-term measure, Hee said the state government through Luas would implement the Zero Discharge Policy whereby premises will recycle their effluent discharge instead of releasing it to the environment and water sources.

In addition, it plans to implement the Polluters Pay Principle, which allows any premises to be charged for the amount of pollution load released into the river if it exceeds the stipulated limit.

"These two policies are undergoing a feasibility study in terms of impact on the balance and sustainability of water resources as well as the economy,” he said.

At the same time, Hee said the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) programme is currently being implemented to assess the ability of a river water source to accept pollutants without affecting its water quality.

"LUAS has carried out two TMDL studies, namely at the Sungai Langat and Sungai Sembah river basins, and will include more rivers in Selangor, including the Sungai Buloh river basin in the future,” he said.

Hee said LUAS has established the ‘Friends of River’ in the Sungai Buloh river basin to raise awareness among the locals of the importance of protecting the quality of water resources. - BERNAMA