Healthy environment<\/p>\n
I have been living in Indonesia for the past five months and
\nhave traveled extensively from Aceh to Timor, and love it here.
\nThere is such great beauty, friendly people, and diversity of
\nevery kind.<\/p>\n
However, there is some custom that badly spoils the beauty and
\ndeserves serious attention -- that of using the rivers and
\nbeaches as bathrooms\/lavatories. Every morning as I walk along
\nthe river or along the beach, people are squatting, putting raw
\nsewage into the waterways and fouling the beaches and riverbanks.
\nJust downstream from people defecating others are bathing
\nand washing their clothes. Perhaps this custom mattered less in
\nthe past when people lived in villages and population densities
\nwere lower; it is common knowledge that a river can cleanse
\nitself every 10 to 15 kilometers. However, when such behavior
\noccurs in the city or places with high population densities the
\nresults are horrible and unhealthy.<\/p>\n
Surely it would not be too difficult to change this
\nunfortunate habit. Education through schools, loudspeakers,
\nbillboards, posted signs, television, radio, etc. could be
\ncoupled with vigilance on the part of the police and the
\nmilitary. If the authorities deployed their personnel for an hour
\nor two each morning at dawn, along the rivers and urban beaches
\nto give information, then warnings, and finally fines, I believe
\nthe problem could be significantly reduced. It would make our
\nrivers and coasts cleaner and healthier.<\/p>\n
Perhaps it would be possible to educate people too about the
\nneed to stop throwing garbage into the rivers and sea, and
\ndropping litter whenever and wherever they like. Every tourist
\narea I have been to has been badly littered with plastic bags and
\ncontainers, etc., again spoiling the beauty. Again it didn't
\nmatter so much in the past if people threw their garbage away
\nsince banana leaves and peels, papaya skins etc. are
\nbiodegradable, but now that waste products are made more of
\nplastic, tin, and chemicals, it is essential that these be
\ndisposed of properly and not just thrown into the rivers, along
\nthe street, etc. Surely education and the provision (and faithful
\nemptying) of convenient litter containers for plastic wrappers,
\nbottles, etc. would make our cities cleaner and more attractive
\nand also save on the cost of street sweepers.<\/p>\n
I hope someone will take notice!<\/p>\n
CHRISTINE DRAKE<\/p>\n
Padang, West Sumatra<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/healthy-environment-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }