Commission D: Jakarta Sewerage System must Be Complete

Jakarta Legislative Council (DPRD) Commission D Chairwoman, Ida Mahmudah has said that the Jakarta Sewerage System (JSS) could be resumed.

This requires a joint commitment from the central government and regional governments

According to her, JSS plays a role as a Centralized Domestic Wastewater Management System (SPALD-T). It means that waste handling or management is conducted using a pipeline network in order not to pollute the environment.

"The process will be very long, starting this year and if there are no obstacles until 2050. This requires a joint commitment from the central government and regional governments, including the DPRD, in this case Commission D, and community support," she expressed, Wednesday (8/2).

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She explained JSS is very important and has strategic value. It is because waste can become an urban problem more than garbage if it is not anticipated early on.

"There is an urgent need to complete waste management infrastructure in Jakarta, both for household and industrial waste," she explained.

According to her, stunting could be caused by the entry of Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria into the body. This E.coli bacteria does not just cause diarrhea. But, it can also lead to malnutrition or stunting and when it is acute, it can trigger death.

"These bacteria live normally in human and animal feces. Usually, disease bacteria are carried into the water through fecal contamination or are already present in groundwater. Another cause is due to carelessness in managing the remaining disposal," she explained.

To maintain environmental water quality, it is very necessary to manage waste through a pipeline network.

"A lot of household waste in Jakarta is not managed properly or according to the rules, because of the density of housing. The safe distance between the water source and the septic tank is 10 meters, of course, many cannot be implemented," she added.

Based on the results of field visits and hearings with Jakarta Water Resources Agency and Permuda Paljaya, JSS construction uses a jacking system or underground.

In the construction of this waste pipeline network, a new manhole will also be needed in the pedestrian or sidewalk area with a distance of 150 meters.

"This manhole is different in size and point with the Integrated Utility Network Facility. This is why I said that we need the support of the community because inevitably the mobility of residents will be temporarily disrupted," she uttered.

Currently, discussions are also being held regarding the Bylaw on Wastewater Management at the Regional Regulation Formation Agency (Bapemperda) for Jakarta DPRD.

"Through this bylaw, it will be ensured that Zone 1 operators will be managed by BUMD through Perumda PAL Jaya or BLUD," she asserted.

It would also make a rate adjustment. The amount of this tariff is also a concern, thus there is a classification for households and industries.

"For this household, I'm also very concerned that the MBR is given a low price or it can be done with a subsidized pattern. Thus, there is no reason not to use waste management using a pipeline network, as this is very important for healthy sanitation," s he stated.