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A wet debate: Indonesia's persisting water woes

Duncan Graham (The Jakarta Post)
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Flores, East Nusa Tenggara
Thu, March 21, 2019

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A wet debate: Indonesia's persisting water woes Empty bottles: Two boys salvage plastic bottles from the polluted Citarum River in Bojongsoang, Bandung regency on Feb. 19. The World Bank declared the Citarum River was the most polluted river in the world a decade ago, a description widely picked up by media and environmentalists. (AFP/Timur Matahari )

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N World Water Day, which falls on Friday, serves as a reminder for Indonesia’s mounting challenges to provide clean water across the archipelago. 

Water quality varies across Indonesia. Old timers tell of distant days when rivers were clean and swimming was a joy, not a jeopardy. Not now. Some households tie muslin around faucets to catch the grit, and they’re the lucky ones.

The upturned plastic kegs curiously called gallon - though they hold 19 liters, a drop or two over five gallons – are a fixture in offices and most middle-class homes.

As tap water isn’t safe to drink, households are faced with only two choices – buy bottled water or spend big on gas to boil out the bacteria from tap water.

But one island claims to be mining an aquifer that doesn’t need treatment and plans to turn itself into an exporter, challenging the dominant players.

Ruteng is a cool and tiny town 1.2 kilometers up the creased and crumpled Manggarai Highlands of West Flores. The area is internationally known for the extinct “hobbits” (Homo floresiensis) discovered in the Liang Bua cave.

Just like the rest of the Lesser Sunda Islands, Flores relies on Java for essentials and tourists for cash.

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