SEREMBAN: The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS) has been urged to step up the frequency of the river cleaning in the state so that the water is in good condition and to curb the risk of pollution.
State Entrepreneurship, Human Resources, Climate Change, Cooperatives and Consumerism Committee chairman S. Veerapan said it was also to ensure incidents such as the one in Sungai Gedok, Gemencheh, where the water changed colour, did not recur.
“This is because it can cause panic in the community. Shared responsibility between government agencies and local residents is necessary to maintain the cleanliness of the river which is the main source of the country’s water,“ he said in a statement today.
In the meantime, he said following the public’s response to the Gedok River, several locations in the area were investigated, including the Ampang Batu Recreation Park, which found water to be cloudy but there was no dead fish and smell, and checking 500 metres from the first location found a dead fish but the water the river has no smell other than having a slightly darker colour.
Veerapan said an inspection at another nearby location also found that the water was not moving because there were obstructions of trees on the banks of the river or bushes causing the water to turn black.
He said the samples collected had been sent to the Chemical Department of Malaysia in Melaka for further action.
Yesterday, the media reported that residents, especially farmers around the area, expressed concern following the water of the Gemenceh River turning black and they feared it might affect their crops.
