Jakarta Bay pollution

Jakarta Bay pollution

From Warta Kota

Unlike in the past, the North Jakarta regional environment control agency has now openly admitted the presence of pollution in Jakarta Bay, as recently reported in a Jakarta daily.

The pollution of Jakarta's coastal waters is nothing new, in fact. Residents of Ancol subdistrict have for a long time complained about the pollution in Jakarta Bay caused by cold storage, steel, paint and glass industries in the area.

Despite public reports on the very offensive smell of the contaminated water for as far as several miles off the coastline, no measures have been taken except the so-called "sea cleaning" program, in which fishermen are each paid Rp 100,000 for diesel and Rp 1,000 per sack of trash that they collect.

The main problem is actually the pumping of untreated industrial waste into the sea, so that the cleaning of Jakarta Bay by fishermen is just a waste of money. The agency should stop the pollution by strictly controlling industrial emissions and refusing to compromise.

In my view, environmental pollution is more dangerous than corruption and is a curse that we seem intent on bequeathing to coming generations.

NURHAIPIN LA MANNA Jakarta