Diligently Caring for the Ciliwung River

A number of residents are tirelessly taking care of the Ciliwung River in Jakarta. They steadfastly make the Ciliwung part of the terraces of their homes or their ever growing kampung (settlement).

AGUSTINUS YOGA PRIMANTORO

Usman Firdaus (53), the initiator of the Ciliwung Caring Community or Mat Peci explained how the community was founded, on the banks of the Ciliwung River, Cikokol Village, Pancoran District, South Jakarta, Thursday (2/2/2023).

Brownish water flowed between two concrete walls along the stream of the Ciliwung River in Cikoko subdistrict, Pancoran district, South Jakarta, on Thursday noon (2/2/2023). Plastic waste and styrofoam drifted or were caught on the 40-meter-wide riverbanks.

“When [I was] small, the Ciliwung was appealing. After playing football we went down to the river to swim, catch fish and net shrimp. When we wanted to get to the river, we had to go down first, like descending a hill,” said Usman Firdaus, 53, while looking at the terrace of his kampung from the office of Masyarakat Peduli Ciliwung (Community Care of the Ciliwung), known by the community as Mat Peci.

The building is 10 meters away from the Ciliwung River and is the center of all activities of the community initiated by Usman. Recorded in his memories are the changes affecting the Ciliwung year after year: the increasingly dense population, the conversion of land, sedimentation and littering. Every year the river overflows its banks, followed by floods.

Who are you, how dare you forbid me to dump waste in the river. Is this river yours?’

With his wife and childhood friends, Usman gradually took action. What he desired was simply to change the Ciliwung to make it better. His initial step was not easy.

“They said, ‘Who are you, how dare you forbid me to dump waste in the river. Is this river yours?’ When we were accompanied by an officer, they also said, ‘If I don’t dump the waste here, what job are you doing then?’ ” they said to Usman who is also called Mat Peci.

Usman also encountered various impediments, such as facing social organizations and physical altercations with nearby residents who regarded him as claiming the residents’ land. However, his determination was unwavering.

Through neighborhood associations such as the family welfare group (PKK), karang taruna (youth club), neighborhood units (RTs) and community units (RWs) Usman educated the community on how to manage waste through the waste bank program. After considering his efforts quite successful in reducing the intensity of waste dumping in the Ciliwung by residents of his own kampung, Usman continued his work by educating other residents.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

A scavenger man uses a canoe made of streofom material to search for used goods that have washed away in the Ciliwung River in Tebet, South Jakarta, Tuesday (7/2/2023).

Consequently, the Ciliwung River Education School was set up in Srengseng, South Jakarta, at the end of 2016. Children were taught to manage waste, plant trees, grow hydroponic plants and build pools. Although the training seemed ideal, various challenges remained.

“Returning home, the children saw their older siblings and father randomly discarding waste, so the practice recurred. This [effort] should therefore be supported by all parties, families and neighborhoods,” he pointed out.

Waste handling in the Ciliwung is not only the responsibility of environment lover communities but also the duty of the government and society. Usman hopes what he has undertaken for over a decade in one riverbank area of the Ciliwung can serve as a model of care for the environment for other regions.

Not simple

Apart from educating the public about the understanding of environmental care, Mat Peci has introduced his community members to the Clean Water Implementation Unit for the Jakarta Environment Agency. One of them is Muji, 41.

Muji has taken care of the Ciliwung for nine years. Every day he works along with 60 other members from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. They clean 10 riverbanks and connecting channels.

“At first, I just wanted to do something refreshing apart from my job. Little by little I began feeling comfortable and suited to the river-cleaning activity,” said the man from Brebes, Central Java.

Muji was once affected by a worm disease that penetrated his skin due to immersion in dirty water. One of his peers had to be specially treated by a dermatologist. Besides the risk of skin ailments, Muji’s job also threatens his safety. This particularly happened when the river was surging.

At present, maintenance is needed for clearing waste and mud, although it cannot be completely cleared as we do not have access to a boat.

One experience that left an impression in Muji was the blockage of waste in the Kampung Melayu area at the end of 2014. “At the time, there was a clogging of waste as a tree had fallen. The span of waste covered around 150 meters,” he said.

After striving to break the blockage for two days with whatever equipment was available, the waste mound was at last disintegrated and the river stream was back to normal.

Today, such clogging has almost never recurred. According to the father of two, the behavior of residents discarding waste in the river has been far less noticeable.

“At present, maintenance is needed for clearing waste and mud, although it cannot be completely cleared as we do not have access to a boat. So, we continue to monitor on land, searching for waste that can be spotted,” he said.

Usman and Muji are only a small part of the community who care for the Ciliwung, one of the major rivers in Jakarta. Through them, the residents’ habit of throwing waste in the river can be minimized. It is a good start to overcome floods, making Jakarta safer for all its citizens. (Z08)

This article was translated by Aris Prawira.