KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — The Selangor government said today it will spend RM200 million over four main initiatives over the next 18 months in river pollution mitigation efforts.

Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the four initiatives could even reduce stop-work incidences by up to 90 per cent at the SSP1, 2, 3, Rantau Panjang, Semenyih 1 and 2 water treatment plants, which would otherwise affect 1.6 million accounts holders.

"The implementation of these four projects will start this year and is expected to be completed within 18 months. The state government has allocated a cost of RM200 million.  

"We are confident that this will reduce up to 90 per cent of the risk of stop-work at the SSP1, 2, 3, LRA Rantau Panjang and LRA Semenyih 1 and 2 water treatment plants, causing water supply disruption to 1.6 million accounts users due to pollution,’’ he said.

Amiruddin explained the first initiative will see the state government amend the Selangor Water Management Authority (LUAS) Enactment 1999, as it seeks higher fines for water pollution violations.  

The state, through LUAS, will also enforced monitoring mechanism on effluents released into the river based on its daily capacity as well as the implementation of the Polluter Pay Principle, where river polluters will be required to pay a certain amount to the state to cover the cost of restoring the damage caused by their pollution.

The second initiative is a Bio-Remediation pioneer project to restore the water quality of the Gong river and it will be replicated to the Sembah, Beranang and Buah rivers, which is the three main rivers identified by the government as the main source of pollution for the Selangor and Langat river, said Amirudin.

The third initiative consists of 24-hour surveillance in key areas along the Selangor and Langat river basins as well installing more water telemetry devices as part of an early warning system.

Finally, the state will initiate a project to pump raw water from the HORAS 600 water ponds in the Selangor river and the Pond C in the Semenyih river.

This year alone, the Klang Valley has faced over eight major water disruption incidents that left millions of consumers high and dry.  

Most of the water disruptions have been attributed to pollution along the Selangor, Langat and Semenyih rivers.