According to the ministry’s public consultation document on the RIS impact study, the review focuses on water pollution, effluent management, waste management and soil subsidence. “Although the number of polluted rivers has declined, overall pollution levels have increased when the reduction in clean rivers and the rise in moderately polluted rivers are taken into account,” the document said. Of the 672 rivers monitored in 2023, 487 (72%) were classified as clean, 161 (24%) as moderately polluted and 25 (4%) as polluted. Root causes identified include high compliance costs for industrial effluent treatment systems (IETS), limited awareness, poor management and inadequate technology. In addition, the ministry has proposed closer collaboration between the National Solid Waste Management Department and local authorities to strengthen regulatory enforcement and jointly implement waste segregation at source.

Source: The Star February 05, 2026 01:27 UTC