Citarum River remains polluted from upstream at the Situ Cisanti reservoir, Bandung regency, West Java.
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Kompas/Benediktus Krisna Yogatama
Cisantu Lake in Tarumajaya village, Kertasari district, Bandung regency, which is upstream Citarum River, is filled with brownish-red moss and water hyacinth, as seen on Friday afternoon (29/12). The upstream part, which has a length of around 270 kilometers and is the start of the longest river in West Java, ends its journey at the Gembong estuary, Bekasi.
BANDUNG, KOMPAS — Citarum River remains polluted from upstream at the Situ Cisanti reservoir, Tarumajaya village, Kertasari district, Bandung regency, West Java. It needs strict supervision from all sides to ensure the beauty and quality of Citarum River.
Based on Kompas\' observation on Dec. 29, parts of the Situ Cisanti area, which is around 8 hectares in size, are overgrown with hyacinth and moss, with plastic bottles also visible. Such has been the state over the past few years.
Asepudin, 35, a Tarumajaya village resident, said Situ Cisanti’s present state is much better compared to previous months. In November and early December, personnel from the Siliwangi Military Command and volunteers cleaned up Situ Cisanti, which is around 3 to 4 meters deep.
“Mud and hyacinth have been excavated, but it\'s starting to grow back,” Asep said at the bank of Situ Cisanti. Waste from a local cattle farm is also thrown into the river.
Deden, 32, a Tarumajaya village resident, said he still throws the waste from his two cows into Citarum River. He said he did not know how to deal with the waste in a way that wouldn\'t pollute the river. “If I were given the knowledge, I would surely practice it. I also want Citarum River not to be polluted,” Deden said.
Bandung Basin covers Bandung, West Bandung and Sumedang regencies, as well as Cimahi and Bandung municipalities.
A day earlier, the same issue was the subject of discussion during the West Java Leaders Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) in Bandung. The forum involved Indonesian Military (TNI), police, West Java administration and city or regency administrations that see Citarum River flow in their area.
Piles of waste
Siliwangi Military Command chief Maj. Gen. Doni Monardo said Bandung Basin receives the most waste from Citarum. The volume of waste is 500,000 cubic meters per year, of which 40 percent is untreated. Much of it floats in the river and ends up scattered in several locations.
Bandung Basin covers Bandung, West Bandung and Sumedang regencies, as well as Cimahi and Bandung municipalities.
“It needs strong coordination to preserve the water quality of Citarum River. Along with West Java administration and police, Citarum will be revitalized starting from January 2018. Various groups, starting from ulema, community leaders and cultural figures will be involved in the Citarum Harum program,” Doni said.
West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Agung Budi Maryoto said his office had dealt with 10 cases related to Citarum River pollution in from 2013 to 2017.
The police had also recorded the names of 126 factories that receive administrative sanctions from the West Java Environment Office. “Any kind of violation will be followed up,” Agung said.
The reservoir is being developed to prevent floods, which often inundate Dayeuhkolot, Baleendah and Bojongsoang districts from the overflowing Citarum River.
West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan said he hoped the program would be effective. The budget for the project is estimated to be around Rp 604 billion in 2018.
“The budget will be proportionally divided among the central government, the province as well as the regency and city administrations. All sides must be involved in developing Citarum,” he said.
Meanwhile, the development of a water catchment reservoir in Cieunteung kampung, Baleendah district, Bandung regency, continues. The reservoir is being developed to prevent floods, which often inundate Dayeuhkolot, Baleendah and Bojongsoang districts from the overflowing Citarum River. The water catchment reservoir, which is being built on a budget of Rp 180 billion, started development in March 2016 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.
Water catchment reservoir project coordinator M Nooryanto said the development is 51 percent finished, with the embankment on the east side having been cemented and some other parts still being excavated. “We are still installing a water pump,” Nooryanti said at the project site on Friday.
Nooryanto said the 8-ha water reservoir could accommodate 560,000 cubic meters of water. The reservoir will accommodate water from tributaries on the west and south sides of Citarum River, such as the Cigado and Ciputat rivers to prevent them from overflowing and inundating housing areas. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is paying close attention to the development of the water reservoir.
