Models to strut their stuff on stinky river
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.