MY heart missed a beat when I read the report “Three Came-rons rivers declared ‘dead’” (NST, April 18).
The roar of rushing waters rings in my ear when I recall how I used to walk to the river in my village at Batu 33 from Ringlet to Tanah Rata. That was more than 45 years ago.
I remember fishing in the crystal-clear water. I could watch the fish take the bait. My friends and I used to swim in the water that trickled down from the hills.
I never thought about where the water came from. I just assumed that this was part of nature.
Then I moved to Ipoh in 1972. When I went back to my village 30 years later, the river I bathed in had turned into a drain. The water was brownish.
It was only then that I realised the damage development had caused to the pristine environment. Hotels, highways and land clearing had damaged a beautiful environment.
I wish there were someone who could care for our environment and keep the rivers in Cameron Highlands flowing for our great-grandchildren.
R. Mani Maran, Nibong Tebal, Penang