Govt vows to protect environment
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)