By Sheeda Fathil
SHAH ALAM, Dec 31 — Over 91,187 metric tonnes of waste have been removed from Sungai Klang since 2016, indicating significant progress in rehabilitating the river under the Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) initiative.
Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB) managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin said the achievement reflects ongoing efforts by the firm alongside local communities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to restore the river.
“The Sungai Klang clean-up has shown promising development, with the river visibly cleaner and notable improvements to its water quality index,” he said.
[caption id="attachment_372419" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
The Interceptor 002 trash picker in action, seen during a visit by Tourism Selangor and Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd representatives, as well as media members, at Sungai Klang, on September 20, 2023. — Picture FIKRI YUSOF/SELANGORKINI[/caption]
Syaiful Azmen credited the progress to advanced cleaning technologies, including two Interceptor machines and seven trash traps.
“These efforts have restored wildlife habitats, moving the river’s classification from Class V (no aquatic life) before 2016 to Class III (some aquatic species present, and water treatable for consumption) by 2023. This recovery has also boosted biodiversity in the surrounding areas,” he said.
Launched in 2018, the SMG initiative, managed by LLSB, aims to clean, rehabilitate, and develop the once heavily polluted Sungai Klang.
The introduction of Interceptor 002 in August 2019 and Interceptor 005 in 2022 — both innovative machines developed by Dutch NGO Ocean Clean Up — has significantly enhanced cleaning efficiency.
