Agency cleans garbage from BKT

The Jakarta Public Works Agency is cleaning the East Flood Canal (BKT) in eastern Jakarta from garbage, an activity the agency says costs Rp 3 billion (US$345,00).

The agency's head of the Water Resource Management division, Tarjuki, said on Thursday that the garbage cleaning began in February this year.

“We estimate the process will take four months. There will be three phases; two will be done in 2011 and the last one will be in 2012,” he said as quoted by kompas.com.

The agency is aiming to clear the waterway from the Cipinang River to Sunter, Buaran, Jati Kramat and Cakung so the water can flow freely to the ocean.

The agency hired 50 workers, who remove 86.94 cubic meters of garbage daily from the BKT channel.

“We are focusing on removing the garbage in five segments, a total of 23 kilometers long,” Tarjuki said.

Agency head Ery Basworo said the huge amount of garbage in the BKT was caused mainly by residents' reckless waste disposal into the channel.

“If people don't throw their garbage there, the BKT can have more capacity and the water can flow more smoothly,” he added.