RESIDENTS living along Sungai Pinang in George Town have been enduring a foul stench from the river for as long as they can remember.
Following complaints to Actionline, NST found that many parts of the river were filled with rubbish.
R. Ramachandran, 56, said while some areas along the river were clean, most of it was filled with rubbish.
“Sometimes, the stench is so strong that we can’t afford to open the windows at home.
“If we do, flies and mosquitoes will invade our home,” he said.
Ainol Bahari, 36, said his family would take turns to sleep on rainy nights for fear of floods.
“Our kampung house is old. If this situation (flash floods) continues, I am not sure how long my family and I will have a home to live in,” he said.
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State Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the local council had identified several villages along Sungai Pinang to be included in the river quality programme.
“We will place several disposal bins in the area for villagers to use.
“Part of the garbage may have come from upstream and the local council is doing its best to reduce it,” he said.
As for the water quality which contributes to the foul smell, Chow said the council had appointed a company to improve the water quality of Sungai Pinang.
“We have improved from Class Four to Class Two, and the work is on-going,” he added.
Chow also advised riverside residents to be more responsible about the environment.
“The people must also do their part to help keep these rivers clean and not point fingers when things go wrong,” he added.
When asked about the flood mitigation project in the area, Chow said the first phase had been completed and the second phase would begin soon.
“They are now appointing contractors to design and build and the project should start soon,” he added.
Chow also said the flood mitigation project was expected to be completed by the last quarter of this year.