The Denpasar municipality is developing a sanitation program in a bid to promote a cleaner environment.
The sanitation program is considered to be on track with the central government hailing the city last year as one of the country’s sanitation pioneers.
Besides a trophy and plaque, the city earned a cash prize in the form of Integrated Sanitation Sector Development Program funds worth Rp 3 billion (US$300,000).
Denpasar Environmental Agency head A.A. Bagus Sudharsana said the sanitation program covered on-site and out-site integrated waste management, household garbage management and reforestation campaign.
The on-site waste management aims to manage domestic and small-scale industrial waste in a number of areas categorized as densely populated areas, through the community-based sanitation (Sanimas) program.
“The municipality will build a waste management facility where the waste is produced. It will be run and maintained by the local community,” Bagus said.
He added Denpasar had built seven Sanimas facilities in Kusuma Bangsa, Mekar Manis, Segina Asri, Perumnas Monang Maning, Bung Tomo, Ubung village and Tunggul Aji. This year, Denpasar received Rp 1.47 billion from the central government to develop the Sanimas program, and the same amount of funds from the municipal budget.
The funds will be used to improve one of the Sanimas facilities and build a new one. Bagus said a Sanimas unit needs at least Rp 400 million to build, depending on the capacity and number of connections, or consumers.
Denpasar, he said, received a special award from the Public Works Ministry in 2007 for the Sanimas program, initiated since 2000 together with the Bali Focus Foundation.
Ever since then, the central government has always provided special funds for Denpasar to develop communal waste water treatment (IPAL) facilities, while the municipality continues to provide supporting funds.
Bagus said it was not easy to build a Sanimas facility despite the available funds due to lack of people’s awareness. He added land acquisition for waste-processing tank installment was sometimes difficult to execute.
“More often than not, residents don’t want the containers to be placed near their homes. It’s impossible for us to purchase land due to the high price and the small chance of getting a plot of empty land, keeping in mind the Sanimas facility would be built in a densely populated area. We must seek a solution by acquiring public property, such as the roadside or an empty area in the neighborhood.”
From the seven available Sanimas facilities, he said that all had operated well and their upkeep costs were derived from fees collected from members of the community.
The scope of the out-site waste management facility, called the Denpasar Sewerage Development Program (DSDP), is far wider.
Bagus said his office had completed and operated the first stage of the DSDP facility and was currently working on the second stage. The DSDP 1 and 2 facilities are expected to serve 37,500 connections at a capacity of 51,000 cubic meters of waste daily.
Bagus said the DSDP would serve as a section of Denpasar city, especially the city center, Sanur resort area and the southern section of the city. It will also cover tourist resort areas in Kuta, Legian and Seminyak. Bagus added that the DSDP would also process waste from hotels and restaurants as well as households.
Separately, an official at the Denpasar Public Works Office in charge of the DSDP program, Gede Adi Suwarsa Jaya, said the DSDP funds of Rp 3 billion would be allocated to develop out-site sanitation facilities.
“The funds are intended to increase the number of household connections,” said Adi, adding his office had received Rp 1.3 billion early this year while the remaining amount would be disbursed next year.
Besides liquid waste, Bagus said that the sanitation program would include solid waste processing by working together with Badung, Gianyar and Tabanan regencies to turn waste into energy.
