Indonesia scrubbing ‘world’s dirtiest river’
Government vows to make Citarum’s murky waters drinkable by 2025
MAJALAYA, Indonesia — The scabies on Indonesian rice farmer Yusuf Supriyadi’s limbs are a daily reminder of the costs of living next to the “world’s dirtiest river”.
Supriyadi depends on the Citarum’s murky waters — a floating carpet of household rubbish, toxic chemicals and animal feces — to irrigate a small rice plot in West Java that sustains his family of six.
The farmer’s rice yield is now down by two-thirds in the rainy season as textile factories dump more and more industrial waste into the river. But he has few other options.
“There are floods during the rainy season. My hands get itchy and the harvest is damaged,” the 54-year-old said.
“Pollution makes my rice hollow. If I keep going I’ll lose money, but if I don’t, I’ll have no other job.”
Now faced with a health emergency after decades of failed cleanup efforts, Jakarta is stepping in with the seemingly impossible goal of making the Citarum’s water drinkable by 2025.
Using this polluted water is a risky calculation for many of the 30 million people who rely on it for irrigation, washing and even drinking water — including around 80 percent of residents in the sprawling capital Jakarta.
Stretching nearly 300 kilometers, the river is also a key source for hydroelectric power for Indonesia’s most populated island Java and tourism hotspot Bali.
The World Bank declared it the world’s most polluted river a decade ago — a description widely picked up by media and environmentalists.
Waste levels can vary depending on how pollution is measured and the time of the year, but the Citarum is dangerous by almost any standard.
Previous research has shown it has alarming levels of toxic chemicals — including 1,000 times more lead than the US standard for safe drinking water.
It regularly appears on lists of the world’s most polluted waterways, alongside India’s Ganges and the Mississippi River in the United States.
That poses a serious health risk, especially for the five million people living in the river’s basin.
Many locals suffer from skin diseases like scabies and dermatitis, as well as respiratory infections from inhaling factory pollution.
“The number of going to the health people clinic is very high,” said Achmad Fachrureza, a 57-year-old villager.
‘Not playing around’
In January, Jakarta yanked responsibility away from local government and vowed to get tough on business owners who ignore waste-disposal rules.
Factories that fall short could have operating permits revoked.
CCTV cameras are to be installed along the river’s banks to keep an eye out for offenders dumping waste in the early morning hours to evade detection.
Meanwhile, dredging equipment will be used to clean up the filthy river, said Djoko Hartoyo, a spokesman for the Ministry of Maritime Affairs.
“We are not playing around this time,” he said.
“We’re going in with a holistic approach so we are optimistic we can make the Citarum clean and drinkable again, just like it was 50 or 60 years ago.”