Other than the hike electricity tariffs, Johor state Public Works, Rural and Regional Development Committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the proposed water tariffs hike was inevitable as the cost to safeguard its water resources from pollution had doubled over the years.
According to a parliamentary written reply, rivers that are unlivable for fish and other marine organisms are classified as Class IV and Class V under Interim National Water Quality Standards (INWQS) vis-a-vis Class I being the “best” and Class V being the “worst”.
While no river in Malaysia is categorized as Class V, there are 12 rivers being categorized as Class IV, which are: –
- Sungai Merlimau in Melaka;
- Sungai Pertama and Sungai Jelutong in Pulau Pinang;
- Sungai Untut in Kuala Lumpur; and
- Sungai Air Baloi, Sungai Kempas, Sungai Sebulung, Sungai Buluh, Sungai Danga, Sungai Tukang Batu, Sungai Sengkuang and Sungai Ayer Mereh in Johor.
In other words, 8 out of 12 most polluted rivers in Malaysia are located in Johor.
Acknowledging that fact that most of the state’s water resources are polluted, the next question is, why?
Instead of burdening all Johoreans, the State Government should go after those who pollute our water resources. If the rivers are polluted by some irresponsible parties, they should be held responsible for the additional operational costs of water treatment plants. The costs should not be transferred to the Johoreans.
It is sad to note that not only Johoreans are currently paying the highest water tariff in Malaysia, but our rivers are also the most polluted in the whole nation. It is imperative for the State Government to urgently improve their efficiency to combat water pollution and to provide cheaper and quality piped water.