Greening Penang
Environmental sustainability, which means to ensure resources used today are still available to be used tomorrow, has been integrated into local and global economic growth strategies. The Penang state government is committed to protect, preserve and promote the environment for our future generation. Over the last 16 months, Penang has been focusing on several programmes which contribute to reducing carbon emission, such as waste-reduction, tree-planting, river-cleaning and integrated transportation master plan. Since last year until June 2009, the state has planted 87,939 trees.
In the effort to become the first green state in Malaysia, the state government has initiated a campaign to reduce plastic bag consumption. In July Penang became the first state to launch “No Plastic Mondays” by imposing a charge of 20 cents per plastic bag. All hyper/supermarkets have stopped giving out free plastic bags on Mondays. The state is considering to extend this campaign to many days per week over the next few months. In making Penang an international city which is the investment city of choice for investors, transforming Penang into an a preferred tourist location and Penang becoming the habitat city of choice for all residents who want a city that has sustainable development, cleanliness is one of the most important issues seriously looked into it.
One of the priorities is to clean up Sungai Pinang, to get it off the infamous listing of being one of the seven most polluted rivers in Malaysia. The state has been engaging with EM experts in Penang to design a proper system to clean up Sg. Pinang with EM technology and take Sg. Pinang out of the list of the “Infamous Seven” as soon as possible. At the same time, priority should be also be given to Sungai Juru as well.
This is in line with the state government goals to create a green environment for all of us to live in. Over the last 6 months EM technology has proven itself to be effective in cleaning up of two of our rivers namely Sg. Kelian in Tanjung Bungah and Sungai Mas in Batu Ferringhi. Taking water quality data would not be accurate at this moment because not the whole river has been treated with EM technology as yet.
But we can see with our eyes that many feet of sludge which has been accumulated over the last 20 years has disappeared, smell with our nose that the foul odor at the estuary of the river have also greatly reduced, touch with our hands that fishes are coming back again in the river. A clean river system will help Penang become the front green state in Malaysia.
To succeed, Penangites need the support from all including the private sector.
