Jakarta rivers heavily polluted
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The city administration is doing almost nothing to prevent Jakarta's rivers from becoming industrial and household dump sites.
City Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) environment impact protection head Ridwan Panjaitan claimed the condition of the rivers was worsened by the absence of a sewerage system in the city.
"You can imagine how heavily polluted our rivers are as there is no sewerage system to deal with waste," Ridwan said.
However, BPLHD data shows that of 22,506 industries/businesses in the city only 65 or 3 percent have liquid waste disposal permits.
The rivers are black with pollution and emit an awful stench. During the dry season the condition of the rivers worsens as water levels drop.
By the time the water flows out to sea it is thick with waste.
Ridwan admitted his office had not been able to control the industries despite environmental laws giving his office the authority to investigate polluting industries, and impose stiff penalties.
He blamed limited staff numbers.
BPLHD senior staff member Dulles Manurung said it was currently investigating 46 cases of pollution, all launched after complaints from the public.
Of the cases, 20 industries were under investigation, 16 had been issued warnings for improper liquid waste management and 10 others had been ordered to repair their treatment facilities.
He said based on Gubernatorial Decree no. 582/1995, warning letters were sent to the polluters three times.
The industries were given three months after each warning to improve waste treatment facilities.
Dulles said if the industry still failed to act it would be denied access to release its waste into the rivers and the administration would publicly name the industry as an environmental polluter.
Polluters can receive a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail and a maximum fine of Rp 500 million (US$60,240) under environmental laws.
If the damage leads to death the maximum sentence is 15 years in jail and a fine of Rp 750 million.
The agency earlier announced that only four out of the city's 99 hospitals have efficient programs to manage radioactive and clinical waste.
The people in close proximity to the hospitals live in jeopardy as radiological waste can cause various diseases such as cancer, while clinical waste can spread diseases from the hospital.
Many hospitals reportedly dump their liquid waste into the rivers and their solid waste at the Bantar Gebang dump site in Bekasi.
Among the hospitals seen to be negligent in their waste disposal are an eye center in Central Jakarta, a hospital belonging to a state enterprise in South Jakarta and a hospital belonging to a private university in North Jakarta.