Kupang the dirtiest city
Kupang the dirtiest city
When they hand out the 2005 Adipura environmental awards,
Kupang should be named the dirtiest city in Indonesia (The
Jakarta Post, Dec. 1). I trust the selection panel will assess
all aspects of a city's environment, including noise, use of
green zones, the state of the infrastructure, public sanitation
facilities, traffic conditions, etc.
If the Adipura environmental awards aim to improve overall
living conditions in our cities, Kupang, the capital of East Nusa
Tenggara province, must top the list as the dirtiest city based
on the aforementioned mentioned criteria.
The city must even be an affront to the livestock that roam
its streets trying to avoid the ever increasing number of ojek
and bemo (largely unregulated, uncontrolled and flouting traffic
regulations with impunity), who are fighting for a living and
making traffic conditions like a scene from hell!
The city does not even have a half-functioning water supply!
Environmental and social conditions in this city have
deteriorated enormously over the past decade, resulting in living
and working environments that no citizen should have to endure.
Since the introduction of regional autonomy and the emergence
of a new order of kleptomaniac politicians, civil servants and
NGO activists conditions have declined rapidly.
In a recent article in the Pos Kupang newspaper, the deputy
mayor of Kupang said he did not know the details of expenditures
for projects in Kupang, explaining that is the sole prerogative
of the mayor, S.K. Lerik, and nobody else. S.K. Lerik, with a
solid military background and an impeccable New Order pedigree,
has been able to stay in power (for the lack of a better
expression) and maintain the status quo for nearly 25 years.
Of course, a healthy democracy and a healthy city environment
usually go hand in hand. I would suggest to the government that
it not expect Kupang to make the list of the 50 cleanest cities
by 2008; 2058 is a more likely target date for this city.
HENRY F MANOE, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara