Article: Making river safe

Friday May 15, 2009

By TAN SIN CHOW

FENCING and gates will soon be put up along the 4km stretch of Sungai Pinang after a 45-year-old man drowned while trying to catch an otter in the river last week.

State Drainage and Irrigation Depart- ment (DID) director Hanapi Mohamad Noor said an inspection team was sent to the site two days after the fatal incident on May 5.

He added that a report on the recommendations to beef up safety would be out this week.

"The high-risk areas will be identified and fencing and gates will be put up.

"There will also be signboards to warn the public not to go near the riverbanks along certain stretches for angling activities.

"There is already fencing along certain stretches of the river but the public must play their part by not engaging in risky activities," he said when contacted recently.

The drowning victim, D. Ramakrishnan slipped from a bamboo raft when he tried to grab the otter which was swimming nearby.

His friend and several people tried to save him with a wooden pole but to no avail.

Hanapi said he was unlikely to face diffi- culties sourcing for funds from both the Federal and state governments, adding that the project would not cost more than RM1mil.

"Sungai Pinang was once classified under Class 5, meaning that no marine life can survive but it has been rehabilitated and is now classified between Class 3 and Class 4. The river can now be used for angling.

"We are confident of rehabilitating the river to Class 2 by 2015, meaning it will be clean enough for people to swim in it," he said.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Metro: North 15 May 2009