KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 ― The River of Life project, which focuses on restoring rivers in the city centre, has been progressing according to plan with only a three per cent delay.
Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, who visited various project sites yesterday, said the visit was meant to show something was being done for the people.
He said the project, due to be completed by 2017, was supposed to be 17 per cent completed but it was currently at 14 per cent.
“Out of the 16 packages under the project, one has been completed, five are ongoing and 10 are going through the design process,” he said.
“From our allocated budget of RM1 billion, we have spent RM67,853,000 so far.”
So far, river cleaning is at 52 per cent completion.
Tengku Adnan said there were also pieces of government land along the river banks that could potentially draw a return of RM4 billion.
“We hope with our investment in the beautification of the river, the land and property along the river will be enhanced and property prices will go up,” he said.
“We will then release the land to be sold to developers.”
Tengku Adnan said enforcement was needed to maintain the cleanliness of the rivers after the cleanup.
“There is an existing Act with regards to river cleanliness and I will ensure that enforcement is carried out, especially on the release of sludge, waste and oil into the rivers,” he said.
He also urged the public to cooperate with the ministry on its objective to have clean rivers.
“Our rivers are not a dumping ground,” Tengku Adnan said.
“We are aiming towards a ‘Class 2’ river, whereby the water is clean enough to be touched, consumed and habitable by marine life.”
River beautification work under the project spans for a 10.7km stretch covering 11 precincts along the Klang and Gombak River corridors.
River cleaning initiatives have also been made along a 110km stretch of the Klang River to improve water quality standards by 2020.
