Tuaran: Residents here want event organisers and the local authority to take a more proactive approach to waste management after rubbish was left strewn along the banks of Sungai Tuaran following a recent entertainment event.
Mitchelle Ng, 42, who lives near the site, called for additional rubbish bins and clearer cleanup plans to be put in place before, during and after events.
She also urged visitors to take personal responsibility rather than leaving the burden of cleaning up to others.
“Civic awareness must come from within. Do not come to enjoy yourselves and leave your rubbish behind for someone else to deal with,” Ng said.
The matter came to light after a member of the public shared a video showing plastic bottles, food containers and cups strewn across the riverbank and surrounding open spaces near the event site.
A Daily Express survey at the location confirmed that waste had been dumped indiscriminately on grassed areas and along pedestrian pathways, with some already drifting into the river.
Ng said the problem was not new and tended to worsen whenever large crowds gathered for public events.
“We are not against the organising of events, as they can boost the local economy and attract visitors, but cleanliness must be taken seriously,” she said.
“It is a shame that the river area and this growing, increasingly popular development are left dirty after events end.”
Ng said the long-term impact of unmanaged waste could extend beyond aesthetics, threatening the river’s ecosystem and the wildlife that depends on it.
“Plastic waste and food containers scattered everywhere can be washed into the river during rain and carried to other areas by the current. If this continues, it could damage riverine habitats and tarnish Tuaran’s image as one of Sabah’s iconic and popular districts,” she said.
She also appealed to the local authority to step up monitoring and enforcement, including taking action against individuals caught littering.
River pollution and illegal dumping in parts of Tuaran have drawn attention from various parties amid ongoing concerns about environmental cleanliness and its impact on the well-being of local communities.
