Developers asked to build sewerage systems
Developers asked to build sewerage systems
JAKARTA (JP): A councilor has urged the city administration to list sewerage systems as one of the public facilities that housing developers must establish.
Hasan Dasy, a member of the City Council's Commission B which oversees economic affairs, told reporters on Thursday that developers should include sewerage systems in the public and social facilities that they are required to build in the development of housing complexes.
"It would be good if the city administration included sewerage systems as one of the facilities to be built by developers and put this requirement in the land appropriation permit," Dasy said, adding that the city administration should penalize developers who fail to build a system.
Head of the City Environment Office Aboejoewono A. agreed with the proposal.
"I think the proposal is good because the system is very important as an effort to decrease the level of river pollution from household effluent," Aboejoewono told reporters yesterday.
He said generally people are satisfied that developers provide septic tanks rather than sewerage systems because they believed that septic tanks are enough to hold household effluent.
"Actually septic tanks have created problems, such as the fluid and mud which can affect ground water," Aboejoewono said.
He also said that the development of a sewerage system in the city is part of a social process in reminding Jakartans of the importance of helping keep rivers clean.
The city has taken various measures to keep rivers in the city, such as Ciliwung, Cipinang and Moekervart, clean. One of the measures is to erect fences along the river banks so people can not throw the garbage or other waste into the rivers.
However, Aboejoewono, cited several factors which could hamper efforts in promoting a sewerage system, such as funds. Certain problems could also affect the price of houses offered by developers.
Although his office has never gauged the level of pollution caused by household effluent, Aboejoewono said that it is one of the wastes which can damage rivers in the city.
The city administration has been implementing a clean river program, called prokasih, since 1989 and the program has successfully registered 417 companies which signed an agreement requiring them to provide waste treatment plants in their companies or factories. (yns/31)