Sanitation problems continue to plague Surabaya

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya, East Java | Fri, 09/05/2008 11:29 AM | The Archipelago

Communities in and around Surabaya remain subject to chronic sanitation problems due to lack of public awareness and a comprehensive sanitation system, a conservationist says.

"Although Surabaya is the second largest city -- after Jakarta -- sanitation problems prevail. Many areas have inadequate sanitation facilities. Residents still resort to dumping garbage into rivers," environmental lecturer and researcher at Surabaya's 10 November Institute of Technology (ITS) Ipung Fitri Purwanti told The Jakarta Post in Surabaya recently.

She cited Keputih village in East Surabaya's Sukolilo district as one such community lacking access to proper sanitation facilities, including public bathrooms, potable water and green areas.

"It's regrettable because the village is a stone's throw from the ITS campus, but residents still lack environmental awareness," she said.

One of the stumbling blocks to improving the area's sanitation is negligence and lack of effective city-run programs. The municipality appears less concerned about the problem, while residents remain neglectful.

"The government, residents and intellectuals are to be blamed for not making it a crucial issue, and have only exacerbated the problem instead," Ipung said.

Syaiful Munir, the leader of Kampoeng Sawoeng Community, an NGO focused on village empowerment, was of the same opinion, saying all 33 areas that fall under the organization's purview face similar problems.

"All of them are deprived of proper sanitation," Munir told the Post, citing Kampung Gresikan -- one of the most densely populated villages in East Surabaya -- as continuing to function without adequate sanitation infrastructure.

The village's drainage system is often clogged while green areas are nonexistent.

"Residents still think there's no need to restore the condition of their kampung, saying it's the government's responsibility," he said.

Surabaya faces three principal sanitation problems -- waste management, water management and inadequate public bathrooms, he added.

The city is confronted with particular waste management problems, such as not being able to sort dry from wet garbage for recycling as well as entrenched public attitudes that frustrate efforts at water management, Munir said. For example, people continue dumping household waste into rivers.

"People have neglected these issues because the benefits are not instantaneous and because of a lack of information, not to mention the problem of population density," Munir said.

Tambaksari, Wonosari and Wonokusumo are among the poorest villages supported by Kampoeng Sawoeng.

"They are densely populated areas with little initiative because the majority of people there are poorly educated, making them less aware of the situation," he added.

In dealing with the villages, Kampoeng Sawoeng had to alter its original strategy, Munir added.

In the past, the organization worked to transform young people's mindsets by working with schools and by organizing Saturday workshops on planting and drawing as part of students' extra-curricular activities.

"Three years have passed and a number of schools still see the need for the programs," Munir said.

Between 2006 and 2007, Kampoeng Sawoeng also widened its scope by enhancing awareness through public discussions and direct community participation, such as waste management and regreening drives. The program began with 15 villages and has grown to include 33.

"We're concentrating on a sanitation improvement program this year, with the main focus being water management," Munir added.

The organization will encourage residents to drill holes -- called bio-pores -- around their homes to contain water seepage to be bound by the soil.

"Less water will flow directly into drains and will enter the ground through the bio-pores instead, thus replenishing ground water," he said.

The seemingly simple scheme is challenging, especially with respect to drilling methods, with assistance from the government and funding agencies required to realize the program.

"This is more difficult than regreening efforts because, as I've said earlier, benefits from ground water cannot be felt instantly," Munir added.