'Jakarta rivers like sewers'

Most of the rivers that flow through the city are heavily polluted, not only by industrial waste, but also by household garbage - a condition that might result in floods when the rainy season comes. People living along the river banks admit that they always dump the waste into the river as there is no garbage dump in the neighborhood.

Mamat, a parking attendant for almost 20 years in Bendungan Hilir, South Jakarta. He resides with his wife and two children along the Krukut river in Karet Tengsin subdistrict, South Jakarta. He is from Medan, North Sumatra:

We always dump the garbage into the river here. It's our habit. So, what's wrong with that?

If you talk about a better place to dump the garbage, can you show me where it is? I have been here for years but there is no garbage dump (in the neighborhood).

Johan, 19, a vendor selling gado-gado (traditional vegetable salad). He and his fellow vendor rents a small shanty along the Krukut river in South Jakarta. He comes from Kuningan, West Jakarta:

Frankly speaking, I always dump the trash into the river. Everybody in my neighborhood does the same thing every day. So, I don't think there is anything wrong with that.

There is no place in my neighborhood to dump the trash. I sometimes burn the flammable waste and dispose of plastics in the river.

Well, sometimes ... I am aware that I am doing wrong to throw away the trash carelessly into the river. I realize that it might cause trouble for us during the rainy season. But, every resident here does not care about the trash.

Perhaps, if there is a garbage dump in my area, it may prevent the locals from littering.

Muji, 43, a boatman who serves passengers crossing the Krukut river. He has done this for seven years:

I am accustomed to seeing people dump their trash every day into the river. The smelly and muddy water is part of my daily life here.

I cannot say anything good about the habits of the residents living along the river bank. This is Jakarta, a metropolitan city that always produces trash every second.

Upon seeing that and living in the situation, the only way is just to take it for granted. I don't know what I am supposed to do about the situation.

I seldom dump garbage (into the river). I even clear the waste in the river that obstructs my boat.

Samidi, 48, a security officer at the Forestry Ministry. He lives near a small river in Jatijajar, Depok. He has a wife and three children:

I'm tired of seeing my neighbors dumping trash into the river, and warning them not to do so. There is only one person out of 10 who is aware that it is wrong.

Supposing, if one person disposes a piece of plastic waste into the river, then can you imagine how much waste is dumped by hundreds of those ignorant people?

The people who live in the housing complex near my kampong do the same thing. They also dump trash into the river.

It's not that easy to change their bad habits and to improve their awareness, as there is no proper garbage dump nearby.

-- Leo Wahyudi S