Most rivers in Selangor, which are the main sources of water supply in the state, have been found to be polluted and could become a serious threat if not managed properly, a scientist warned yesterday.
Universiti Putra Malaysia Environmental Forensics Research Centre unit head Dr Hafizan Juahir said sections of rivers with clean water were getting shorter because of high land utilisation activities, especially for housing development.
As an example, he said, the length of Sungai Langat, the leading source of water in the state, was 149.3km, but clean water could only be obtained at sections totalling 49.3km.
Hafizan said pollution at the river was categorised as Class Four, with Class 1 and 2 being unpolluted while 3 and 4 were seriously polluted.
“The entire length of Sungai Langat has already reached Class 3 and 4, and if the water quality worsens, it will become a dead river,” he said.
Hafizan said the latest data obtained by his students on Sungai Langat’s condition was presented three days ago.
He said in Hulu Langat district, the situation was getting serious and threatening to the river because there was too much development, especially the building of condominiums and shophouses.
The population increase had also affected the water quality because more washing and domestic waste were dumped into the river.
When asked on the Selangor government’s water policy, which emphasised on restructuring the industry rather than overcoming problems, he said the restructuring exercise would not amount to anything if critical problems were not attended to.
He also expressed his support to the Federal government’s move to source water from Sungai Pahang for Selangor, which is being implemented now.
