Household waste pollutes Jakarta Bay: Agency

Household waste pollutes Jakarta Bay: Agency

Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Pollutants emanating from onshore are the largest contributors
to the pollution of Jakarta Bay while there has been as yet no
significant effort made by government agencies and the community
to manage waste effectively, the head of Jakarta's Environmental
Impact Management Agency (Bapedalda) said on Tuesday.

Waste, mostly of the household variety, carried by the rivers
flowing through the city, eventually flows into the sea resulting
in damage to the marine environment.

"Garbage and pollutants from households and industry must be
dealt with seriously. This is urgent ... the water quality of
Jakarta Bay is declining by the day," Kosasih Wirahadikusumah,
the head of the agency told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of
a two-day Clean Coasts and Marine Conservation seminar.

The agency's research reveals that Jakarta's rivers are filled
with domestic waste as there is almost 3 million cubic meters of
garbage per year dumped into them by slum dwellers all over the
city. The waters of Jakarta Bay are also polluted with ammonia
and phenol.

The slum residents appear to have little knowledge about waste
management and are unconcerned about the impact of their
behavior.

"It is important to educate them on this matter and increase
their awareness," said Yunani Kartawirya, the chief of
Bapedalda's Environmental Control Section.

Meanwhile, commercial enterprises along the Jakarta coastline,
including hotels, ports and chemical plants, pollute the waters
with liquid chemical waste as well as oil spills from vessels
using the ports.

This has detrimentally affected fish and seaweed in the
Kepulauan Seribu (Seribu Islands) where most of the residents are
traditional fishermen.

"Because of the pollution, the fish are scarce now. We have to
go all the way to Natuna or Bali waters," said Fuady, a fisherman
from the Seribu Islands.

According to Bapedalda data, the pollution in the Kepulauan
Seribu consists of garbage, metals, oil and the presence of red
tide.

"Some of us used to grow and sell seaweed, but because of the
pollution we have had to give that up," Fuady said.

The seminar also highlighted research reported in the health
Ministry's magazine in 1997 which revealed that fish, oysters,
crabs, squid and other types of seafood sold at the Muara Angke
and North Jakarta fish markets were contaminated with lead and
copper.

It is the sea food sold at these markets that is mostly
consumed by Greater Jakarta residents, as seafood exports from
Jakarta Bay are often rejected by other countries due to their
poor quality.

Thus far, there have been no reports of poisoning resulting
from the consumption of sea food purchased at the Muara Angke or
North Jakarta fish markets.