KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — The Kampung Boyan retention pond in Lorong Gurney will be linked to Taman Tasik Titiwangsa and open to the public soon. 

City Hall planning executive director Datuk Mohd Najib Mohd said the green area, equipped with cycling tracks and plots with a garden city concept, would be among the attractions for residents to unwind and exercise.

"Currently, water quality here is at ‘class four’ which is very polluted and not suitable for bodily contact, let alone consumption,” he told the media after officiating the Environmental Conservation Sungai Bunus Basin programme organised by the Local Agenda 21 Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

"Land-clearing and improving the water quality of Sungai Bunus are under way.” 

Najib said an area measuring 2.03ha of recreational park would be open to the public round the clock.

He said the retention pond helped to mitigate floods in the Kampung Baru and Masjid Jamek areas during the recent flash floods, and the system would be completed by year-end.

Also present were United States Ambassador to Malaysia Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir and Drainage and Irrigation Department deputy director-general (Business Sector) Datuk Mohd Nasir Mohd Noh. 

Nasir said the water quality would take some time to be restored if the public continued to dump garbage and food waste into the river.

"To improve water quality from ‘class four’ to ‘class three’ will take up to 2020, while ‘class two’ water can only be achieved in 2025,” he said.

The Sungai Bunus conservation programme involves activities and planting of 100 fruit trees, a collabourative effort among various groups including local university students, Malaysian Armed Forces personnel, US Navy personnel and private companies.

The event yesterday saw the participation of 40 US Marines who assisted in the conservation effort.

The Marines, who serve aboard the USNS Fall River, helped with planting 100 saplings. They were joined by students from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, SK Bukit Damansara and the Setapak Vocational College. 

The crew are part of the Pacific Partnership 2017 initiative here on a three-day visit.

Among them was Petty Officer Roy Huges, who helped a group of Setapak Vocational College students plant a lemon tree close to the pond’s embankment.

"It is a different experience being here and planting trees. I appreciate the time off the vessel,” said Huges. 

"People may have other ideas when they see soldiers in uniforms but there are many other things we do such as disaster relief. I appreciate what the community is doing for their river and it is nice to know I helped plant at least one of the trees here.

"I hope to return years from now to see how it has grown.”

The Fall River, which arrived on Saturday, will be docked at the Boustead Cruise Centre in Port Klang until Wednesday. 

Its crew took part in several community engagement activities including lending a hand at the Pertiwi Soup Kitchen last night.

Kamala said the event demonstrated one of many ways the US and Malaysia could collabourate besides security and disaster management.

"I hope our countries can draw closer and face the mutual challenges to our environment in an effective a way as possible,” she said.