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hree East Java residents — Riska Darmawanti, Mega Mayang Kencana and Daru Setyorini — have filed a suit against the East Java administration for its alleged negligence in managing disposable diaper waste dumped along the Brantas River.

The three women said they lodged the lawsuit at the Surabaya District Court on Dec. 12 and that the trial was scheduled to commence on Jan. 23 or 24.

East Java Governor Soekarwo issued on Dec. 25 a circular suggesting that 38 mayors and regents in the province address the problem by informing the public on how to manage household waste and providing them with the necessary facilities.

But Riska, Mega and Mayang — who come from Malang, Sidoarjo and Gresik, respectively — said the administration’s move was too little, too late.

The circular, issued about two weeks after they filed the lawsuit, was vague and not legally binding, they said.

“The letter from the governor is only an appeal. The content is still not clear. It doesn’t explain in detail the responsibilities of each region and the punishment for regional leaders who do not follow the instructions. So I think the governor still doesn’t take this problem seriously,” Riska Darmawanti told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

A recent finding by Ecological Observation and Wetland Conservation (Ecoton) in August shows that disposable diaper waste makes up 80 percent of total waste in the Brantas River.

Ecoton cleaned up seven locations along the river and collected an average of 1.2 tons of disposable diapers in each location.

Brantas, the second-longest river in Java after the Bengawan Solo, is a source of raw water for many cities in East Java, including provincial capital Surabaya.

Daru said the administration’s years of ignorance in dealing with diaper waste was very dangerous to public health.

“All these years, waste disposal has not been handled seriously. Everyone has to sit together. The regional officials, the public and the diaper producers. The diaper industry must do more than just seek profits without thinking about the environmental impacts [of their products],” she said.

Disposable diapers are a dangerous pollutant as they contain plastic and chemical substances such as chlorine, absorbent gel, perfume and bleaches.

“Moreover, feces that is stuck onto diapers contains bacteria and will produce a dangerous compound. It could severely pollute the river. Imagine if the water was consumed by the community,” Riska added.

Meanwhile, East Java administration spokesperson Benny Sampirwanto said the circular was the best the administration could do to address the issue.

The circular, he said, called on regional heads to educate the public on how to treat disposable diapers and provide them with the necessary facilities.

“The circular is basically a call from the province’s environment agency to all the regencies and cities to prevent the disposable diapers from being thrown into the river,” Benny said.

Ecoton coordinator Prigi Arisandi told the Post that although the administration’s initiative was laudable, it was more important to ensure the plan was implemented.

“For us, although it’s a good start, the circular is nothing but advice. It must be followed by real actions,” he said.

According to a recent World Bank study requested by the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister, 21 percent of Indonesian marine litter consists of diapers, which are second only to organic waste (44 percent).

Diapers contribute to marine pollution more than plastic bags, which comprise 16 percent of marine debris, other plastics (9 percent), plastic packaging (5 percent), glass and metal (4 percent) and plastic bottles (1 percent).