Govt vows to protect environment
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia marked World Environment Day yesterday by reaffirming its commitment to continuing development without damaging the environment.
"Let us develop the country without worsening pollution, without destroying forests and biodiversity, without adding to mangrove destruction and without devastating our coasts and marine resources," Soeharto said in a speech.
The highlight of the celebration, held at the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah park, was the presentation of the Adipura awards and medals to 121 administrative bodies for success in promoting cleanliness.
Among the recipients of the prestigious awards were four of Jakarta's five mayoralties.
Other cities honored with an Adipura award this year were Ujungpandang, in the category of metropolitan cities; Malang, in the category of large cities; Salatiga, Kupang and Banyuwangi, in the category of medium-sized towns; and Gianyar, Trenggalek and Fak Fak, in the category of small towns.
Semarang, Temanggung and Surabaya were among the cities which won the highest honor, the Adipura Kencana award, for winning the Adipura four times in a row.
Among townships which received certificates of honor from the minister of home affairs and the state minister of environment were Probolinggo, Kabanjahe and Tondano.
State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja told reporters that the criteria for Adipura winners would be stricter in future.
"The new criteria will be applied in 1997 and local governments have two years to study them," he said.
Nabiel Makarim, Deputy Chief of the Environmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal) said stricter requirements were needed, not because the present ones were too easy to satisfy, but because people were tending to demand more from Adipura winners.
He said local administrations had grown accustomed to the current criteria and many had worked out a formula for winning the award. Therefore, he said, there should be a new challenge.
Factors currently considered for the Adipura award include city management, people's participation, physical aspects such as cleanliness, sanitation and city planning and greening efforts.
Sarwono said he sensed that many mayors were beginning to play down the significance of the Adipura competition.
"I think many local leaders don't take the competition seriously. The will to keep a city clean and tidy declines whenever a change of leadership is about to take place," he said.
President Soeharto also presented Kalpataru awards to people considered to have shown outstanding dedication to environmental preservation.
The Kalpataru awards went to Amin of Serang, West Java, in the category of "environmental pioneer"; Nicodemus Manu of Ngada, East Nusa Tenggara and Daud Womsiwor from Manokwari, Irian Jaya, in the category of "environmental devotees"; and Sunyoto of Yogyakarta, in the category of "environmental advocate".
Three village groups from Samataring village in South Sulawesi, Kubu village Bali and Nanga Bungan village in West Kalimantan were also awarded the Kalpataru in the "environmental rescuers" category.
Soeharto awarded certificates of honor to the provinces of West Java, East Java and North Sumatra for their success in obtaining the highest grades on the Local Environment Quality Scale.
The scale measures local efforts to improve human and social quality.
Meanwhile, Sarwono presented the Satya Lencana Pembangunan honors for previous Kalpataru laureates who have shown consistency in their environmental-protection efforts.
The honors went to Dominggus Ledrick Sinanum of Maluku, Banen of East Kalimantan, Mad Sahi of West Java, Miquel Soares Babo of East Timor and the An Nuqoyah Moslem Boarding School in Madura.
Sarwono also presented a number of former mayors and state officials with the Satya Lencana Wira Karya honors for their consistency in environmental protection. (pwn)