Malaysia, Johor: Second phase of Sungai Skudai clean-up underway

HALIM SAID New Straits Times 13 Nov 16;

JOHOR BARU: Efforts to clean up Sungai Skudai and raise its water quality level from Class III to Class II is underway, with the launch of the second phase of the Sungai Skudai Water Blueprint.

Johor committee chairman for health and environment Datuk Ayub Rahmat said although the first phase of the blueprint was successfully carried out from 2012 to 2015, the campaign did not achieve its target.

"More than 160 initiatives were laid out in the first blueprint, but only 57 per cent of them were achieved. For me, that is a failure," he said.

However, Ayub said the next phase of the blueprint, which will involve the Drainage and Irrigation Department, the Iskandar Regional Development Authority, and the local council, will ensure that the plan to restore Sungai Skudai to a Class II river will be a success.

He said the second phase of the blueprint is still being ironed out, and will be tabled after he receives the annual report.

Ayub said Sungai Skudai is one of the main water sources for city folk here, but it is constantly polluted, with up to 500 tonnes of rubbish collected from it yearly.