Johor tourism, environment, heritage and culture committee chairman K Raven Kumar said that despite regular cleaning, the amount of rubbish remained the same.

“We see that the number has not changed, there are still 80 tonnes of rubbish that needs to be collected from Sungai Skudai and Sungai Tebrau every month even if cleaning is done regularly.

“The rubbish collected includes beds and refrigerators,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Raven said cleaning works in the two rivers were done using scavenger boats under the supervision of the irrigation and drainage department.

He said the public should report to the authorities if they came across people throwing rubbish into the rivers.

He also said enforcement would be intensified through the river pollution enforcement and monitoring task force.

Last Sunday, menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi had said the state government would step up enforcement on rubbish disposal under the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133).

Under the Act, anyone found deliberately littering in a public place may be fined a maximum of RM500 on the first conviction.