regarding the visit to Jakarta, we can not be sure that we will find a city of contrasts and many waste, including rivers. But you probably do not know that Jakarta is surrounded by the Citarum River, labeled "the most polluted in the world" by a local commission of government agencies and NGOs. It is the only water source for 15 million Indonesians and provides 80 percent of drinking water in Jakarta.
Like many unexpected and funny things in Indonesia, one of the perfect places to visit family around Jakarta, close to Purwakarta, is the dam Jatiluhur, specifically in the Citarum river. We can find fresh air and plenty of tourist facilities, including outboard for water skiing and water park, and picnic or take a traditional boat to visit water village in Lake Jatiluhur. in this beautiful landscape, we surrender to a landscape green, yellow and blue.
If we continue along the course of the river, we can find the landscape more colorful in Bandung, but this time we will stay in the water of the river and irrigation canals rice fields, next to a black and unproductive land, due to the dyes used in 1,500 plants the textile industry in the region. Every day, the kilometer-long river 269 is "forced" to receive 400 tons of animal waste, 25,000 tons of garbage and 280 tons of toxic waste, and has become a vector of the disease for 25 million people in west Java.
Therefore, for many people who live in places like the village Sukamaju in Majalaya, Curug Jompong or Cipatik Bridge Batujajar, a family day used to be not so happy. "Their water source is the river", including "the place where the industry is dumping their waste directly," and they use it to bathe, wash and cook according to the Toxic Campaigner Greenpeace Asia southeast, Ahmad Ashov Birry.
is Ashov Birry concerned about the long term effects of river pollution, metals and hazardous heavy chemicals. "It was not long ago, the Chinese government finally admitted that there is a cancer village linked to the problem industrial pollution, "he warned, referring to possible kidney problems, too.
the Citarum used to be clean in the 1970s, before the factories boom began contaminate with hazardous waste and destruction so the local rice production and fishing. Some experts have said that the earth will be unproductive for at least 40 years. "What is funny for farmers, and also for fishermen, they do not want to use it for themselves because they are worried," Ashow Birry said.
Greenpeace calls on the government to adopt a preventive approach to direct industry to clean production, replacing the hazardous material, and also disclosure of information about industrial pollution and metals water because with that "the public will also push the industry in collaboration with the government." international fashion brands like Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy are related to this pollution, according to Greenpeace.
the long-term effects of industrial waste into the river will be very costly for future generations, Ashow Birry warned. He also thinks that "the law itself is still weak to tackle the problem of dangerous chemicals."
More educate people not to put plastic in the river, the activist of the toxic water believes the government should provide green facilities and a healthy community. "In fact, they do not put garbage in the river directly, but they put it on the front of their house and some government agencies carry, but they throw off the river. When the flood comes, he washed away and ends up in the river, "he said.
Thomas Panella, management specialist of ADB water resources, which is responsible for the Citarum project, responded by email that until the end of 2013, they are working to improve the productivity of the and irrigation to ensure water supply in bulk Jakarta.
The Ministry of Agriculture implemented a program to reduce water consumption while increasing the incomes of agricultural productivity and farmers and the Ministry of Health has been working "to expand the water supply, sanitation and solid waste management facilities using a community approach for the benefit of over 65,000 people, "he said.
The specialist in water resources added that the program is working on regional planning and flood management, including measures to improve the water quality. However, environmentalist, Ashow Birry said he has not seen any improvement with ICWRMIP. Even the flooding problem "grows," he said.
The National Audit Board analyzed the ICWRMIP and concluded that water resources basin management during the 2009-2012 budgetary period is ineffective. He still found weaknesses in the coordination and quality of water management and pollution control of the inter-agency water, in addition to six cases of differences in the administration and 16 cases of weaknesses internal control. Thomas Panella replied that if coordination has shown some improvement, "It would take a strong leadership and a sustained effort by all stakeholders to be fully effective", because of the complexity of the project. He also defended better monitoring to deal with plants.
The Indonesian Textile Association did not respond in time to my questions about it.