THE Johor government will place log booms at 12 pollution hotspots along Sungai Skudai to trap rubbish.

Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the aim is to take Sungai Skudai off the list of the 10 most polluted rivers in Malaysia.

“We will continue the river cleaning programme, including installing log booms and implementing daily maintenance. It is a huge task, but I believe that if all parties work together, our rivers can be cleaned, starting with Sungai Skudai.

“We target the cleaning work in Sungai Skudai to be carried out until September… to clean it to a level that will reduce the level of pollution,” he said in Johor Baru today.

The pollution hotspots are in Taman Impian Emas, Tampoi Utama, Kampung Pasir, Pengkalan Rinting, Pulau Danga Bayu, Kampung Bakar Batu, Sungai Melana, Kampung Laut, Kampung Pertanian, Kampung Separa, Kampung Melayu Sengkang and near the Sungai Skudai Information Centre.

He said Sungai Tebrau and Sungai Kim Kim in the state are also among the 10 most polluted rivers in the country, adding the two rivers are next up for cleaning

“I believe that we can get the rivers unlisted with some effort.”

In February, state Tourism, Environment, Heritage, and Culture Committee chairman K. Raven Kumar said about 160 tonnes of garbage are collected every month from Sungai Tebrau and Sungai Skudai, which have become dumping grounds. – Bernama, June 4, 2023.