Govt to launch river observation

JAKARTA: The government has proposed that each province in the country should closely monitor the quality of at least one river in 2003 to help monitor pollution and avert ecological disaster.

Masnellyarti, a deputy of state minister for the environment said on Wednesday that the monitoring would include parameters like pH level, salinity, temperature, biological oxygen demand, and chemical oxygen demand.

"We'll provide the funds next year to provinces as an incentive to carry out river observation," she said on the sidelines of a meeting.

The monitoring report would be used as a basis to help make town or city master plans.

At present, only 13 rivers in the country in certain areas have been evaluated in an environmental report, namely the clean river program (Prokasih). --JP