A supposedly rejuvenated river in Penang appears to be brimming with life again.

Penang sparkling clean river

A photo uploaded to Facebook on July 27 by one Raaj Ganesh has been shared more than 9,600 shares in just two days.

The post credited the government and people's combined efforts to keep the "river" litter-free.

The water looks pristine in the photo with many koi fish:

The same photo was then circulated online on various local pages to promote the transformation of the river.

However, the photo attracted a fair share of scepticism, with some calling it out for not being an actual river, but just a canal.

Dirty water diverted

Much to the disappointment of those rooting for the rejuvenation of the "river", the photographed portion is apparently only a pond separated from the dirty canal water.

The actual canal has been hidden underneath the concrete pathway and it remains filthy and full of litter, according to a viral Facebook post by Abdul Kader:

A close-up look at the murky and polluted water on the other side of the wall:

Here's another photo of an exposed segment of the canal taken on July 28, 2019:

https://www.facebook.com/ngseksan/posts/10156756784703650

Official clarification on rejuvenation project

The developers issued an official statement on July 29, 2019, refuting these allegations by calling them misleading and false.

The joint statement by Penang Development Corporation and George Town World Heritage Incorporated stated that the water from the old Prangin canal has been cleaned and treated before flowing into this new version of the canal.

It also refuted allegations of the sanitised portion as being just a pond.

However, the drain water has been diverted to a newly built culvert, which has a higher water capacity to hold the water and helps to preserve the canal, which has historical value.

The statement also clarified that the canal has never been a "river" as it was never fed with natural water sources from upstream.

Here's the full statement:

Top photo collage from Raaj Ganesh's Facebook and Abdul Kader's Facebook