The river pollution level in Alor Setar city is currently in Class Three, which requires immediate intensive treatment because it can no longer be used for water supply to residents.

Chairperson of Public Works, Water Supply and Water and Energy Resources Committee, Zamri Yusuf said the pollution was caused by the attitude of the people who constantly throw rubbish into the river, especially those who settled near the river.

"The level of river cleanliness is categorised up to Class Five, Class Three is considered to be dirty and unsuitable for daily activity while Class Two is still usable.

"We can transform our river from Class Three to Class Two by keeping the river clean, but what's troubling when Grade Two turns to Grade Three and this is what we need to pay attention to," he told reporters after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and state government at Wisma Darul Aman here, today.

On the MoU, he said, UKM would work with local authorities (PBT) from four districts, Padang Terap, Pendang, Kubang Pasu and Alor Setar to carry out research at each of the district in three phases for a period of six months.

Zamri said that through the UKM study, various data will be collected and analysed to serve as the basis for the writing of the Sungai Kedah Sustainability Action Plan 2020-2030 which will serve as the core in strengthening of Kedah's governance and management aspects of Sungai Kedah.

"UKM research together with the state government will detail up to the smallest elements of pollution in the river to determine which rivers are in which class which also involved the collaboration of residents and traders near the river, schoolchildren and local authorities," he said.

Meanwhile, he said the government also planned to appoint 1,500 residents to become water partnership volunteers to act as the eyes and ears of the government to report on river pollution activities near their homes.

- Bernama