Sungai Pinang

Winding and farting through the heart of Georgetown before spewing into Selat Selatan (South Channel), Sungai Pinang is considered the filthiest river in Malaysia. Over the years it's become a drain for a 50km urban spread of factories, markets and tightly quartered residents who have freely dumped whatever they've wanted into the flowing sludge. Today it not-so-proudly bears a Class V classification, which means it is unable to sustain life and contact with the water is dangerous for humans.

In December 2005 a clean-up project began with goals of turning what many consider to be a sewer into a clean Class II river for swimming and boating. Optimists imagined fish fluttering through clear waters, and a tourist jetty was built in hopes of offering scenic river tours. By the 2007 completion date, it became obvious that it wasn't that easy. The river still stinks, no one in their right mind would go picnicking on the banks and the jetty has been happily claimed by local fishermen.

A new study of the river was been implemented by the government and it's now estimated that clean up will cost another RM2 billion, on top of the RM21 million that's already been spent. While residents hope to see the river return to a reasonable state, few are confident that the measures will work, let alone be sustainable.