JOHOR BARU: Dozens of people took time off to attend a mini carnival held at the Skudai river to create awareness on pollution.

It is deemed to be one of the state’s most polluted rivers.

Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said that the river was vital as it was a source of drinking water for the residents in the area.

He stressed that due to pollution along the river, the water treatment plant along Skudai river was only operational for two months in a year.

“This is mainly due to a high concentration of ammonia in the water,” he said when officiating the carnival organised by the Johor Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) here on Sunday.

Ayub reminded the public to do their part to keep the environment clean and urged those living beside rivers to organise gotong royong or clean up sessions regularly.

Meanwhile, Sivambigai Sivanathan, 21, from a teachers training college, said that the event was an eye-opener for her, as she learned how the DID deals with sewage and conservation works on the river.

“It made me realise how hard the process to get clean water is, and I am thankful to these people who provide me with the clean water I use everyday,” said Sivambigai who came with her coursemates.

Villager Nasir Matjanis, 52, said that he was happy to see the clean-up of the river as sometimes there was a lot of rubbish floating in it.

“My family and I take occasional walks along the Skudai river and hope that it is cleaned often,” he said, adding that it made him happy to see everyone working together at the carnival here.

Also present at the mini carnival were Johor Baru mayor A. Rahim Nin and students from nearby primary schools and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.