26 September 2021 : Plogging Program was held at Sungai Bunus Community Garden in conjunction with the World Rivers Day Celebration. Amongst those who attended the event; the Minister of Federal Territories, YB Dato” Seri Dr Shahidan Bin Kassim, Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah, Swedish Ambassador to Malaysia, Dr Joachim Bergstrom and the representatives from the Sungai Bunus community. Dr Wan Nurul Mardiah Wan Mohd Rani, our Deputy Director II also attended the event.
Plogging is the Swedish fitness trend that combines picking up trash while jogging. The word comes from a combination of jogging and ‘plocka upp’, a Swedish phrase for pick up. Started in Sweden by Erik Ahlström in 2016, plogging is an eco-friendly exercise through which people pick up trash while jogging or brisk walking as a way to clean up litter and take care of their health.
Throughout this program, the participants have successfully collected 64kg of the garbage along the 2km stretch of Sungai Bunus retention pond according to Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah.
Sungai Bunus community garden was initiated in 2016. The garden aimed to rejuvenate the abandoned Sungai Bunus riverbank and provide space for gardening to the urban community. The initiative has improved the water quality of Sungai Bunus River, a 9-kilometre stretch river that flows in Kuala Lumpur since it was first initiated.
The success resulted from the collaboration of stakeholders; Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Expressionz, Bernama and others. This collaborative effort is strongly supported by LA21, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL). While Institut Sultan Iskandar (ISI) collaborates with the Centre for Community and Industry Network (CCIN) UTM, actively participates in the various activities related to Sungai Bunus Community Garden.
Through these partnerships, the garden was progressively enriched by these committed volunteers through weekly gardening activities. Since the location of Sungai Bunus Community garden is not within proximity to a residential neighbourhood, each representative takes turns organising and conducting monthly events to ensure the continuous effort and sustainability of the garden. The weekly slot is also valued as a short retreat for working people and students to make time for some gardening and recreational activities as well as an opportunity to socialise with others. The community garden is also being recognised by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) as a showcase to present the idea of a community garden within an urban setting.
Sungai Bunus is one of the rivers connecting to the main river of Kuala Lumpur, the Sungai Klang. Sungai Klang is the heart of Kuala Lumpur and its existence has been a symbol of life and civilization. However, Sungai Bunus is considered class IV, which means it’s not even suitable for bodily contact or any recreation purpose. Thus the initiative to beautify along the river is the best step to preserve the Sungai Bunus environment.
