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River cleanup met with mixed reaction as scavengers lose source of income
The piles of garbage also accumulated from trash brought by the current from neighboring areas.
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A scavenger collects trash in an illegal dumpsite in Teluk Naga district, Tangerang, Banten, on Dec. 17. (Kompas.com/Singgih Wiryono)
P
eople living in a number of areas of Tangerang regency, Banten might be breathing a little easier, as the local administration has helped clear the Cisadane River of piles of trash.
The regency administration has been working with the Indonesian Military (TNI) to clean the river since September. The two institutions have also urged people to stop throwing garbage into the river and onto its banks as the practice remains pervasive.
Regency officials placed warning signs against littering and reminded the public that throwing thrash into the river violated a 2012 bylaw on littering. The bylaw stipulates that violators could face a maximum penalty of three months’ imprisonment and a fine of Rp 50 million (US$ 3,576).
Tangerang was in the spotlight recently following viral photos and videos of what netizens dubbed a “trash islet” to describe mounting trash in the estuary and on the banks of the Cisadane River in the regency that borders the capital. The “islet” was pictured as being filled with various waste, dominated by plastic bottles and packages that also reportedly exuded foul smells.
As Greater Jakarta has entered the rainy season, the regency’s environment and sanitation agency removed an estimated 1,000 tons of trash as part of the administration’s flood anticipation measures.
Since Dec. 15, the regency has collected up to 200 tons of garbage in Kampung Kebon Miring.
The piles of garbage also accumulated from trash brought by the current from neighboring areas.
