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)