Group questions basis of clean city award
Group questions basis of clean city award
JAKARTA (JP): Activists criticized the government yesterday
for neglecting environmental aspects when awarding the
prestigious Adipura Awards to the cleanest cities in the country.
"They base the judgment on aesthetical aspects only," Mas
Achmad Santosa, executive director of the Indonesian Center of
Environmental Law, told a seminar organized by the Indonesian
Forum for Environment (Walhi).
The view was shared by M.S. Zulkarnaen, program director of
the forum.
The government has presented the annual Adipura Awards since
1986. They are aimed at motivating local administrators as well
as people to pay more attention to the environment, especially
cleanliness.
"There are city mayors who are crazy for beautiful parks, but
they neglect rivers, wells and other natural resources -- which
are depleting," Santosa said.
"They should consider the carrying capacities of the eco-
systems," he stressed.
He suggested that the environment be included not only in the
presentation of the Adipura Awards, but also in how the prizes
are awarded. This would encourage implementation of sustainable
development principles, he believes.
The government presents yearly awards like the Kalpataru
Awards for individual contributions toward maintaining the
environment, the Upakarti Awards for both individuals and
companies for their dedication to small-scale business, and the
Parasamya Purnakarya Nugraha Awards, which are given to provinces
and major cities for successful development.
Both Santosa and Zulkarnaen urged the government to encourage
people to preserve the environment through incentives. At the
same time, the government should also work harder to enforce the
law.
The government is planning to rate environment-friendly
companies and publicly announce the winners as an incentive for
others to work harder.
The rating system, originally expected to be launched last
June, has been delayed due to unspecified technical matters.
Audit
Santosa said that the voluntary environmental audit policy,
which was introduced late last year, has not really worked
because of the absence of incentives and law enforcement.
"None of the industrial plants in Indonesia has volunteered
for the environmental audit. Not even the multi-national
industries which have undergone such audits in their original
countries," Santosa explained.
Even though the audit is voluntary, the government has the
authority to order a polluting company to undergo an audit.
The Environmental Impact Agency has ordered three firms: PT
Inti Indo Rayon, a pulp and paper company, PT Caltex Pacific
Indonesia and PT Freeport Indonesia, giant foreign mining
companies, to be audited due to serious environmental problems.
Only PT Inti Indo Rayon has carried out the order, according
to Arimbi H.P., an executive of Walhi.
"PT Freeport, which has operated here for about 30 years, is
still working on the environmental impact analysis," Arimbi said.
She lashed out at the American company for making huge profits
but doing little for the environment.
Santosa said the information about the environmental audits
should be made public so that people can actively take part in
preserving the environment.
"Unfortunately, access is difficult because we don't have a
freedom of information law," he said.(sim)