Taking Care of the Source of Life Together

Kompas

The condition of the banks of the Muara Beting River, in Muara Gembong, Bekasi Regency, on Wednesday (3/23/2020).

People living on the riverbank are aware of the need for change following years of flooding. They are aware that they must avoid destroying the source of life.

Residents along the Cileungsi River on the north coast of West Java, precisely in Bogor regency, Bekasi City and Bekasi regency, are already familiar with disaster. During the rainy season, their homes are prone to flooding. During the dry season, the stench of industrial fumes emanates from the river. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to be a threat to them.

Amid these unfavorable conditions, a citizen’s movement is spreading hope.

The Muaragembong Kita Community, in Muara Gembong, Bekasi regency, for example, initially stood up to introduce Muara Gembong to outsiders. Now, this community is also actively socializing clean lifestyles by participating in building proper sanitation facilities.

The founder of the Muaragembong Kita Community, Yusuf Maulana, on Sunday (29/3/2020), said that one of the community\'s social activities was to install public toilets and clean water facilities for the residents of Kampung Beting. In its activities, this community works closely with students, volunteers and social institutions.

Kompas/Harry Susilo

Fishermen weighing up squid to be sold to collectors at the side of Citarum River, Muara Bendera area, Muara Gembong district, Bekasi regency, Tuesday (2/1). In the last 17 years or so, the amount of catch by squid-hunting fishermen in Muara Gembong has declined due to pollution from the upstream of the Citarum River.

According to Yusuf, before 2017, the community in Kampung Beting, Pantai Bahagia village, Muara Gembong, whose population was around 1,000 people used to defecate into Muara Beting - a tributary of the Citarum River. They built a makeshift hut with water channels and the waste went directly to the river. Not only did such practice pollute the

river, the makeshift hut also narrowed the river channel which was the lane for the fisherman boat.

"In 2017, together with the nongovernmental organization, Seacology, through the Sanitation & Water Tank program, we built public toilets with washing facilities. People slowly understand that they no longer defecate in the river," he said.

Until now, the Muaragembong Kita Community continues to educate residents, one of which is by building community learning parks. "We focus on providing literacy to familiarize clean life with the hope that it will spread to their parents," Yusuf said.

Clean living is the key to a healthy life, including warding off Covid-19, which until Sunday had claimed 114 fatalities in Indonesia.

Kompas/Benediktus Krisna Yogatama

Residents of the Citarum riverbank in Cihampelas village, Cihampelas district, West Bandung regency, picking up rubbish left at the riverbank, Tuesday (2/1). The rubbish which has been carried in the river from Bandung city, Bandung regency and Cimahi city is picked up and turned into a source of livelihood for most of the locals.

Caring for Cileungsi-Cikeas

Good cause and hopes were also spread by the Cileungsi Cikeas River Care Community (KP2C). The community chairman Puarman on Sunday in Bekasi said that the disasters that are routinely experienced by the people in the banks of the Cileungsi river make them aware to remind one another.

"KP2C has personnel and CCTV or surveillance cameras installed in the upstream in Cileungsi. So, as soon as there is an increase in the water level in the upstream, we inform the residents," said Puarman.

The information or warning was given to 10,400 KP2C members. The community has six hours before the flood arrives to start preparing an evacuation and move their goods to safer places. The warning is beneficial for residents because most residents work far from home.

KP2C also reports to the local administration if the color of the river water has changed.

KP2C also reports to the local administration if the color of the river water has changed. "In the dry season, the CCTV monitors the color of the river water. If the color of the water changes, it means there is an initial indication of pollution," Puarman explained.

Data from the Directorate General of Pollution and Environmental Damage Control at the Environment and Forestry Ministry shows that pollution of the Cileungsi River was allegedly caused by 54 companies. "Industrial waste contributed the most to the pollution in Cileungsi. The second contributor is from domestic waste, but it is not too significant," said Puarman.

He added the government planned to build the Naragong Water Reservoir in the upstream of Cileungsi River to prevent drinking water deficits in Bogor regency, Bekasi City and Bekasi regency. "The problem is the canal to flow the water from the water reservoir. The key is the river must be cleaned first," Puarman said.