TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

World Water Day celebrated on Surabaya River

Save the water: Activists carry out traditional rituals on the banks of the Surabaya River to celebrate World Water Day, which falls on March 22

Wahyoe Boediwardhana (The Jakarta Post)
Surabaya, East Java
Wed, March 23, 2016

Share This Article

Change Size

World Water Day celebrated on Surabaya River Save the water: Activists carry out traditional rituals on the banks of the Surabaya River to celebrate World Water Day, which falls on March 22. (thejakartapost.com/Wahyoe Boediwardhana) (thejakartapost.com/Wahyoe Boediwardhana)

S

span class="inline inline-center">Save the water: Activists carry out traditional rituals on the banks of the Surabaya River to celebrate World Water Day, which falls on March 22. (thejakartapost.com/Wahyoe Boediwardhana)

Dozens of officials from tap water company Perum Jasa Tirta I and activists from environmental group Konsorsium Lingkungan Hidup (KLH) on Tuesday held tumpengan and ruwatan rituals on the banks of the Surabaya River to welcome World Water Day, which is celebrated every March 22.

Taufiqurahman of Perum Jasa Tirta I said the two Javanese rituals were held in the hope that people living along the banks of the Surabaya River would be made aware of the need to preserve the environment, and would stop throwing waste into the river.

'€œThe tumpengan and ruwatan rituals are part of our efforts to ensure that all biota in the Surabaya River are preserved. It is hoped that everyone can be made aware of the importance of maintaining the Surabaya River, and have the willingness to protect it,'€ said Taufiqurahman.

Tumpengan is a Javanese tradition involving serving cone-shaped rice with various side-dishes to express gratitude for blessings received from God. Meanwhile, ruwatan is a ritual seeking divine blessings from God.At the event, the participants spread seeds of fish species endemic to the Surabaya River.

Compared with six years ago, the water condition in the Surabaya River is relatively clean, and endemic species are thriving, including rengkik, pangsius catfish or jendil and mystus or keting. In 2000, people could find only common snakeheads - locally known as sarkamut or gabus, a species resistant to water with a high level of pollution.

'€œThanks to various efforts, the condition of the Surabaya River has improved. Various fish endemic to the Surabaya River such as rengkik, jendil and keting, which had once disappeared, can now be found easily by local anglers,'€ Taufiqurahman.

Meanwhile, KLH director Imam Rohani added that red worms were now quite difficult to find on the banks of the river. '€œThe difficulty in finding red worms is an indicator that the quality of water in the Surabaya River is improving,'€ said Imam.

In the central area of the river, Imam said, authorities supported by environmental activists had continued to monitor the quality of the river water, especially its pollution level, while water patrols were intensified on the downstream side of the river to reduce potential pollution.

'€œWe monitor it every month and report it to [East Java governor Soekarwo],'€ said Imam. (ebf)

 

 

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.