Waste management needed to curb pollution in bay<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Environmentalists and researchers called on the city
\nadministration to curb marine pollution in Jakarta Bay, which has
\nlikely triggered the red-tide phenomenon and killed fish and
\nclams, by tightening control over industrial and domestic waste
\nemptied into the city's 13 rivers.<\/p>\n
\"The administration must tightly control industrial plants'
\nwaste treatment facilities and also build a sewerage treatment
\nsystem to contain domestic waste,\" environmentalist Ahmad
\nSafrudin told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Safrudin was one of speakers at a discussion on pollution in
\nJakarta Bay staged by the Office of the State Minister of the
\nEnvironment and the Institute of Economic and Social Studies and
\nDevelopment (LP3ES) at the Jakarta Convention Center. The event
\ncoincided with the Environment Week staged by the minister's
\noffice.<\/p>\n
Safrudin alleged poor monitoring of factories' waste treatment
\nfacilities had contributed to the worsening pollution in the bay.<\/p>\n
\"It is public knowledge that the monitoring is marred by
\ncollusion between unscrupulous officials and factory owners who
\nprefer to cut expenses by directly dumping industrial waste into
\nthe river without proper treatment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He pointed to the absence of a sewerage system in the city
\nthat also worsened pollution.<\/p>\n
\"The absence of an integrated sewerage system has encouraged
\nresidents to use the rivers as public toilets instead.\"<\/p>\n
A researcher with the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB),
\nArio Damar, agreed, citing pollution as the root of the problem.<\/p>\n
\"The rapid growth of algae in the bay, that killed fish and
\nclams, was simply an effect of pollution. If we don't want such
\nan incident to occur in the future, we must begin managing
\npollution problems,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The results of laboratory analysis by different institutions
\n-- including the IPB, the Jakarta Environmental Management
\nAgency (BPLHD) and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) --
\nhave led to a preliminary conclusion that the dead fish and clams
\nwas caused by the rapid proliferation of algae.<\/p>\n
The growth of algae was triggered by the high level of
\nnutrient coupled with the low level of oxygen in the seawater due
\nto the high degree of organic and inorganic waste. Organic waste
\nis basically raw sewerage, while inorganic waste is mostly from
\nindustrial waste.<\/p>\n
Another researcher with the minister's office, Heru Waluyo,
\nsaid the administration should be held responsible for reducing
\npollution caused by both industrial and domestic waste.<\/p>\n
\"There are standards stipulated in the regulations, such as
\nthe standard operating procedures to clear riverbanks of
\nsquatters. If the administration sticks to implementing the
\nstandards, then, pollution would be significantly reduced,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, BPLHD head Kosasih Wirahadikusumah said his agency
\nhad not reached a final conclusion over the cause of the
\nphenomenon.<\/p>\n
\"We still need to carefully study the case to find the real
\ncause of the phenomenon. Based on the study, we will be prepared
\nin case the phenomenon reoccurs.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/waste-management-needed-to-curb-pollution-in-bay-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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