Najib Wants Stringent Enforcement To Mitigate River Pollution

post by Susanne Chi May 01, 2007 15:40 PM

Najib Wants Stringent Enforcement To Mitigate River Pollution

PEKAN, May 1 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today orderd state governments and related agencies to take harsh action against river polluters.

The Deputy Prime Minister said a more effective and deterrent action were necessary as it incurred high costs to rehabilitate polluted rivers.

"We should begin with more effective and stricter enforcement because river pollution is caused by indiscriminate throwing of substances.

"Enforcement can be stepped up as the laws are already in place. We only need stricter enforcement," he told reporters after presenting food aid to fishermen in the Pekan parliamentary constituency.

Najib, who is also Pekan MP, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had recently instructed state governments to take appropriate measures to mitigate river pollution.

"If rivers are pollution, it requires big sum of money to rehabilitate them. We can clean up and rehabilitate polluted rivers but we must make sure the rivers are not polluted again," he said.

Najib was commenting on Monday's statement by Drainage and Irrigation Department director-general Datuk Keizrul Abdullah that 91 per cent of river pollution in the country was caused by human faeces.

Keizrul said 16 rivers, most of them in Penang, Selangor and Johor, have been categorised as polluted.

The Deputy Prime Minister said all parties must be responsible to ensure maintenance and cleanliness of rivers in the country.

"It warrants stringent enforcement. If there's a pollution case, our enforcement officers must go to the ground, investigate and take action," he added.

-- BERNAMA