PETALING JAYA: Thirty-three rivers across the country have been categorised as polluted as of Dec 31 last year, an increase from the 25 polluted rivers reported in 2023.
Natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Arthur Joseph Kurup said 171 rivers are deemed slightly polluted while 468, or 70%, are considered clean.
However, he said the 33 polluted rivers recorded a class III to IV level of pollution, adding that there were no cases of class V pollution reported last year.
In December 2024, Kurup’s predecessor, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, said the number of polluted rivers had reduced from 59 in 2019 to 25 in 2023.
The number of clean rivers stood at 486 that year, reflecting an improvement in river water quality at the time.