Models to strut their stuff on stinky river

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Sutiyoso's administration will give riverbank squatters a taste of the good life on Sunday, when models are set to grace a floating catwalk on Angke River in North Jakarta, as part of a campaign to clean up the city's rivers.

The "Enjoy Jakarta's Clean Rivers" event will feature 30 models in Betawi (native Jakartan) attire sadariah. The models will comprise professionals, former participants of the Abang- None (Mister-Miss) pageant and local youths.

"Of course the river smells bad and is blackish (in color), but that's the point. The festival aims to make people understand that rivers are not dumps," Jakarta Tourism Agency head Aurora Tambunan said on Friday.

Environmentalists have long spoken out over the pollution of Jakarta's rivers owing to household and industrial waste. The absence of an integrated sewage system in the city has only exacerbated the problem.

Jakarta has 13 rivers, all of which end up in Jakarta Bay, where thousands of fish and clams died in May. Experts believe the phenomenon was caused by either unprocessed, toxic industrial waste or household waste dumped into the sea via the rivers.

Aurora said the models would parade on floating stages made of wooden planks and empty barrels, each measuring four meters by six meters.

"The stages will be drawn by tug boats along a 1.5-kilometer stretch of the river. The boats belong to the Jakarta Fisheries Agency," she added.

Traditional Betawi Tanjidor and Gambang Kromong music will enliven the festival.

The fashion show will be held at 2 p.m. amid concerns over the water level of the river.

"The water level is quite low, due to the dry season. But, the public works agency, which has conducted a series of trials over several days, reported that we could go ahead with the festival after 2 p.m., when high tide has raised the level," said Jakarta spokesman Muhayat.

Muhayat said the festival would include a decorative boat contest.

"People can watch from the riverbanks, which have been cleared up and concreted over by the public works agency," Muhayat said.

Sutiyoso is slated to attend the festival to meet Kali Adem fisherfolk nearby, who have been evicted from their homes on the riverbanks and moved to new low-cost apartments.

The drive to clean up Jakarta's rivers has also prompted local residents grouped under the Batavia Advancement Committee to hold a similar festival on Kali Besar river in West Jakarta.