Sungai Pinang, only a few years ago regarded among the seven most polluted rivers in the country, has improved in water quality from Class Five to Class Three (moderate contamination).
The improvement came after the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) and IWK spent RM120,000 to fix a water discharge system at an abattoir along River Road and channel the waste water to the IWK treatment plant in Jelutong.
Well done, MPPP and DID; that’s the way to go. (One question: who absorbs the RM120,000 cost? The abattoir, MPPP or IWK?)
Before the system was installed, blood from slaughtered cattle was released into the river. Now, with the system in place, that has stopped. (See Star report here.) This goes to show that efforts to clean up rivers and seas will not succeed unless the sources of pollution are plugged. (Mud balls are unlikely to do the trick.)
The first phase of the rehabilitation project was completed in 2007. Some background info from a 2009 Star report here:
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’.
The total cleanup cost was estimated last year at RM150 million.
The goal must now be Class One status (not just Class Two) for all rivers in Penang and elsewhere.
And while we are at it, please look into all open ditches/drains discharging untreated effluent into the sea – especially that big open ditch between the Bayan Baru roundabout and the industrial area.
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It is far better to spend RM120,000 (borne by both MPPP and Indah water according to the STAR report) to fix a water discharge system and make a tremendous impact on the environment than to spend millions feeding cronies in the old BN government. “No plastic bags” implementation from next year will cover all hypermarkets, supermarkets, departmental stores, pharmacies, fast food restaurants, nasi kandar outlets, convenience stores including petrol kiosks and chain stores. Except for Nasi Kandar outlets, I don’t see how business is going to be affected for retail shopping. It is not as if one will travel to… Read more »
Gerakan K, the abattoir in river Road is not a private concern. It is run by MPPP. So please don’t shoot from your reverse end without getting your facts right. 2) Plastic bags manufacturing industries are the lowest level of plastic industry. So the state govt is indirectly making these companies move to produce higher grade plastic products so, we can become a High Income Nation, and not hire Foreign labor to produce cheap products 3) From which Gerakan Hole did you get the 30% drop in business? whose business? Now our cleaners have 32 million less plastic bags to… Read more »
Very strange that from the report, that cost should be absorbed the abattoir but it maybe paid by public money for private business abuses. Very business friendly indeed. But any chance of corruption practice here ??? Any chance that the abattoir has any link with the RM120k bill payer ??? By the way, I oppose the plastic banning policy. I foresee the comeback of the Great Gerakan after this policy being implemented. Imagine that the daily sales dropping by 30% because of this policy. That figure was widely reported in various media agencies. OMG, our 1Malaysia PM Najib take various… Read more »
Even your Pg Gerakan chief in Pg has no confidence together with your Mahaithew
Hi everyone, Congrats to all agencies, NGOs, and members of the public who contributed to the upgrading of Sg Pinang from Class V to Class III ! Efforts should be continued to upgrade Sg Pinang and other rivers in Pg to Class I. Banning the rampant use of plastic bags would definitely contribute to enriching the environment for a change, a most welcome type of enrichment!! I fondly remember during my much younger days that people even swam in Sg Pinang, and when it regains its status as Class I, then we’ll be able to see people swim in Sg… Read more »
I personally feel that mudballs (enzyme inclusive ) is really good. Just to share:- 1. enzymes can get rid of stubborn tea/coffee stained mugs. 2. floor stubborn stains/muck – enzyme mop makes it shiny and clean. comfortable to walk. 3. sink skirting-traps oilbased dirt – use enzyme and light scub – the stainless steel sink goes shiny. 4. toilet bowl – the lavatory odour is dispersed off and the toilet bowl looks comfortable. Its my experience using this VERY CHEAP homemade enzyme. I also contributed by reducing cleaners and detergents. Try it — the Govt ( eg LGE Govt )… Read more »
The ban on plastic bags starting from next year will definitely give a boost to the continual rehabilitation of Sungai Pinang.
Good work, i believe Penang will be the best place to live in the future. The state government under pr can do so much without getting any funds from federal government. Just imagine if they have the huge allocation so much more can be acheived.
More to that, Penangites are more creative when it comes to survival. Anyway, anyhow we seem to be better than the Fed one step ahead even with zero state allocation (for some developments) from Ah Kong’s fund. We may be pushover by the Fed when it comes to crucial development, but we have talents and brains to see us thro’. And including a no pushover LGE as our state leader!
Unlike the whimpy … Gerakan Kaput 308!.
This is wht we called good governance by a responsible governemnt under PR & LGE
Ha ha, now we can see what PR can do for Penang compare to the previous corrupted gomen. Somemore there are people out there say Kerajaan Pulau Pinang not doing anything for the rakyat. What a spin. Keep up the good work.
Another Project Successfully Implemented by Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat Di Pulau Pinang.
Interesting it was only RM120K. Wonder what it would have costed MPPP/IWK under the Gerakan Govt.