Some 250 Ampang Jaya residents removing rubbish from Sungai Ampang during the World Rivers Day event. —Photos: AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
A FRAMEWORK for a planned Zero Discharge Policy (ZDP) to be introduced in Selangor has been prepared and will be tabled by the state government for approval, said Selangor Water Authority Board (Luas) director Hasrolnizam Shaari.
Once approved by the Selangor Economic Action Council (MTES), he said the policy would come into effect sometime next year.
The proposed policy is being introduced as a deterrent against pollution of rivers and to ensure zero discharge into water sources.
“The policy is needed since there are many socioeconomic activities taking place along waterways.
Rodziah hopes communities living by the riverside will continue river maintenance efforts on their own.“While these economic activities are important for the state’s development, they should not come at the expense of the quality of our rivers.
“We need proper control, which is why the ZDP will compel industries to recycle effluents instead of releasing them into the drainage system and rivers.”
He added that Luas managed 1,025 rivers and tributaries totaling some 4,000km.
The policy, Hasrolnizam said, would be enforced along with the Polluters Pay Policy (PPP), whereby those who discharge effluents into the river would have to pay for any amount discharged beyond the regulated limit.
He said this during a World Rivers Day and plogging event in Kampung Muhibah, Ampang Jaya, Selangor.
When asked about the state of Selangor’s rivers, Hasrolnizam said on average, the rivers were classified as Class III (extensive treatment needed).
“As most of Selangor rivers are used as a raw water source, we want to upgrade them to Class II, to improve river quality.
“There are five qualifications of water quality, with Class I being the best quality and Class V being the most degraded.”
He said Luas’ intensified river-monitoring programme had helped to quickly identify and reduce cases of river pollution, which would otherwise disrupt water distribution.
Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) president Dr Ani Ahmad said about one tonne of rubbish were fished out of Sungai Ampang tributary during the plogging programme in Kampung Muhibah.
Hasrolnizam says a zero-discharge policy is needed since there are many socioeconomic activities along waterways.“In the Ampang area, the disposal of rubbish in the river seems to be a common practice because people believe someone will collect it.
“There is also wastewater discharge from businesses and residential properties,” she said.
She added that three rivers bisected Ampang Jaya - Sungai Kelang, Sungai Ampang and Sungai Kerayong.
She said this was the fifth community river-cleaning programme since 2021.
Also present at the event was Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail.
She hoped the communities living by the rivers would take up the environmental cause.
