Rodziah (foreground) hopes such activities will be done frequently to reduce river pollution.
ALMOST 200 people participated in cleaning up the riverbanks of Sungai Ampang in Ampang Jaya, Selangor, as part of efforts to set up a new river trail in the area.
The “Kutip Sampah Sambil Riadah” (Kudah) programme saw volunteers picking up rubbish along the riverbank in Taman Kosas and clearing the area of overgrown shrubs over a weekend.
Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail hoped the communities living by the riverside would take up the cause and continue such efforts on their own initiative.
“I hope such activities will be done frequently to keep our rivers clean and reduce pollution.
Some 200 volunteers participated in the riverbank clean-up along Sungai Ampang in Taman Kosas.
“With regular cleaning and maintenance, the surrounding area can become a gathering and leisure spot,” she said and urged the public to not throw rubbish into rivers.
The event was organised by Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ), with participants comprising volunteers from Hulu Langat Drainage and Irrigation Department, Selangor Water Management Authority, Indah Water Konsortium, KDEB Waste Management, Lembah Jaya Ikram as well as resident and community groups.
The programme was initiated by MPAJ’s Smart Selangor Sustainable Committee, which encourages community involvement in environment-related initiatives in the area.
Rodziah, along with MPAJ president Dr Ani Ahmad, also took part in the one-day programme.
Ani said the clean-up was among MPAJ’s efforts to create a river trail as part of the National River Trail (NRT) programme.
Similar river cleaning programmes near Sungai Ampang were previously held at Laman Niaga, Ampang Waterfront and Kampung Melayu Ampang.
The NRT programme was aimed at building 1,000km of river trails by 2023 and 10,000km by 2030.
