Foundation launches education centre for Sg Way community

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THE GAB Foundation, in partnership with the Global Environment Centre (GEC), recently launched a dedicated River Care Education Centre in Desa Mentari for the Sungai Way community.

The centre is part of the W.A.T.E.R. (Working Actively Through Education and Rehabilitation) Project, a three-year environmental project initiated by the foundation to clean and rehabilitate the Sungai Way river that runs through the heart for three major townships – Desa Mentari, Kampung Lindungan and Desa Ria.

The RM40,000 River Care Education Centre is the first-of-its-kind resource centre and houses a library of reference material on water rehabilitation and conservation, a laboratory equipped with test equipment to conduct water quality test and a discussion room.

All together now: Department of Environment director-general Datuk Rosnani Ibrahim together with Saw releasing local fishes into the river model located in front of the River Care Education Centre.

The centre is open to the local communities for them to continue monitoring the water quality of the river which they have worked so hard for the past two years to clean.

The centre is also open to students and members of the public who wish to utilise it as a resource centre for river rehabilitation research.

During the launch, GAB Foundation chairman Tan Sri Saw Huat Lye said, “We believe the River Care Education Centre will be an asset to the Sungai Way community. As they say there is no better place for us to start than in our own homes, and in this case, our own backyards.

“As such, we would like to encourage both residential and business communities residing along the Sungai Way area to come visit the centre to learn more about river rehabilitation and how cleaning our local rivers will benefit the environment.”

“We look forward to engaging the business community upstream to ensure that the residents of Desa Mentari, Kampung Lindungan and Desa Ria continue to see a cleaner river and enjoy a healthier living environment,” he added.

The foundation engaged various government agencies such as the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), Department of Drainage and Irrigation (JPS), Selangor Water Management Board (LUAS), Department of National Unity and Integration (JPIN), Jabatan Alam Sekitar, Alam Flora and Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) together with the residents of Desa Mentari, Kampung Lindungan and Desa Ria for their support and commitment.

To date, the foundation has channelled over RM480,000 towards this project.

Funds were used to conduct numerous training sessions for the residents, business partners and GAB employees to educate them on recycling, composting waste and set up rubbish and grease traps along the Sungai Way river.