River restoration by Sunway College JB students

The team of 41 students out their hands to work to make over 1300 effective microorganism (EM) mud balls to be used as a natural water treatment. These mud balls which are made of soil, clay, bokashi and EM, are said to be beneficial to fish in the river as it controls the ammonia levels and suppresses pathogens. It is also said to inhibit the growth of algae and break down any sludge and silt – resulting in clear and healthy water.

The project was identified and selected in a bid to introduce the idea to others in the campus community about the importance of river restoration and improvement to water quality. After attending a workshop by an NGO leading similar efforts, everyone took turns to get their hands dirty with 168kg of soil, 8.4kg of bokashi and 72L of activated EM. They displayed great team work throughout the process as long hours and physical stamina were required to knead and roll the mixture to make sure each took the shape and size required by the guidelines.

“We were really tired after a long day but it was all worth it as this is one of the best solutions for treating the water without causing any negative effects to the surroundings. We all have to play our part to reduce water pollution for the benefit of everyone and mother earth,” said Aaron Ray Ephraim, a student who participated in the project.

However, things did not go in their favour as just one day into the project, the government declared another movement restriction which brought their project to a halt.

Nevertheless, after restrictions were slightly relaxed, three students then represented the project team to transport and toss the mud balls into Sungai Rekoh in Masai, Johor.

Though all 41 students could not be there by the river because of the restrictions, they were still hopeful that their efforts would be able to help restore a part of the river.