West Jakarta Achieves Open Defecation Free Status with New Communal Sanitation Facilities

The West Jakarta City Government has declared that the construction of seven communal sanitation facilities (MCK) in the Tomang area of Grogol Petamburan District means all sub-districts in West Jakarta are now free from open defecation (BABS). West Jakarta Mayor Iin Mutmainnah explained that Tomang was previously the last sub-district yet to declare Open Defecation Free (ODF) status. “The requirement for an ODF declaration is that a minimum of 500 families must use communal MCKs that meet closed standards. We checked the field and found that many residents in Tomang were still not using closed sanitation,” Iin said during the ODF declaration in Tomang on Monday. The seven MCKs built provide proper sanitation facilities for 503 families and 1,278 individuals who previously practised open defecation. “Initially, our target was to build four communal MCKs. Alhamdulillah, we managed to build five and revitalise two. In total, seven communal MCKs have been facilitated for the community,” Iin stated. She noted that the MCKs, built in collaboration with state and private institutions, are also designed inclusively to be friendly for persons with disabilities and the elderly. Head of the West Jakarta Health Sub-agency, Sahruna, explained that the communal MCKs were designed for large capacity due to the limited land that has been a constraint for residents. He confirmed that with the Tomang declaration, all 56 sub-districts in West Jakarta now have ODF status, although they fall into two categories. “Of the 56, 13 sub-districts have a pure ODF declaration. The remaining 43 have an ODF declaration with commitment, meaning they defecate in closed toilets inside their homes, but the waste is not yet discharged into a standard septic tank,” Sahruna clarified. He added that the construction of communal MCKs does not instantly change residents’ habits, as some still prefer to use toilets at home even if they lack septic tanks and discharge directly into waterways. “I anticipate that possibility, and our mitigation strategy is to continuously provide education. The sub-district and village heads educate the community at every opportunity that it is better to defecate in the facilities we have provided,” Sahruna concluded.