SHAH ALAM – More than 10 bodies, including that of an infant, have been discovered during the ongoing Klang River Flood Mitigation Project under the Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) initiative, shedding light on a grim reality behind the restoration of the river.

As reported by Sinar Harian, Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB) managing director, Syaiful Azmen Nordin, said the discovery of bodies is not an isolated incident but has occurred almost monthly since dredging and widening works began on November 1, 2022.

“So far, we have handed over more than 10 bodies to the police and fire department for further investigation,” he was quoted as saying.

Aside from the grim finds, the team has also encountered severe pollution, having retrieved various heavy waste items such as refrigerators, lorry tyres, bed frames, mattresses, sofas and even motorcycles from the riverbed.

“I honestly don’t understand how a fridge ends up in the river,” he said, describing the current level of pollution as severe and a challenge to the dredging efforts.

The mitigation project forms part of SMG’s holistic efforts to increase the Klang River’s capacity by up to 40 per cent, while also rehabilitating the ecosystem and improving water quality to at least Class III on the Water Quality Index (WQI).