Selangor Dredging lauded for cleaning up Sungai Satu in Penang

PENANG (July 8): A few years ago, Selangor Dredging Bhd (SDB) embarked on a housing project in Penang called “By The Sea”.

The 1.9ha development at Batu Ferringhi sits on a specially raised deck and comprises three blocks of low-rise suites against the green hills as a backdrop.

But next to it was Sungai Satu, polluted with waste from nearby developments upstream and activities from the main road.

SDB, wanting to enhance the beauty of By The Sea, undertook a seven-month cleaning programme to clear a 200m stretch of Sungai Satu of rubbish and other debris.

“We landscaped it and put in marine plants, which can take away nitrates out of the once polluted river,” said Lina Othman, SDB communications and corporate affairs head.

SBD spent more than RM2 million on a German-made bioengineering technology for the river project,  a first in Malaysia, using products such as rock rolls, stone mattress, 3D-coir erosion control blankets, waterproofing membrane and various filter media.

The filtration system collected rubbish while suspended solids were deposited and pumped into the wetlands to remove nutrients and pollutants. Finally, the cleaned water is discharged back into the river.

“The technology is beneficial for erosion and slope protection from flood impacts,” said Lina.

“At the same time, we are also using natural materials such as silica sand and plants for river treatment.”

For its efforts, SDB won the Enterprise Asia’s Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Award in the Green Leadership category.

The awards recognise and honour Asian businesses for championing sustainable and responsible entrepreneurship and were held in Macau this year.

Chief minister Lim Guan Eng lauded SDB’s effort and suggested the bio-engineering method be adopted for other polluted rivers in Penang.