Jakarta (Greeners) – Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) targeted to install 16 water quality monitoring devices in 15 rivers in the country by 2017, said a senior official in Jakarta, on Monday (27/3). Up to date, the ministry had installed 10 online based monitoring in five rivers.
Two devices in Bengawan Solo river, two devices in Serayu river, two devices in Cisadane river, and one in Ciliwung river located in Srengeng Sawah in 2016. Meanwhile, three devices installed in two rivers, Ciliwung and Citarum, in 2015.
“So, the total is ten devices. The target for 2017, we will install two devices in Toba Lake, one device in Asahan lake, two devices in Sekampung and one in Citarum. That makes 16 online water quality monitoring devices. By 2019, we’re targeting 30 devices already installed,” said Director of Water and Pollution Control at the ministry, Sri Parwati Murwati Budi Susanti.
READ ALSO: Two Approaches To Manage Waste Water From PUPera
Based on ministry’s data, 68 percent of Indonesia’s rivers is below standard due to domestic waste, especially in Java island. Three major rivers in East Java, — Ciliwung, Citarum, and Cisadane, — have been considered to be below standards stipulated by Government Regulation issued in 2001 on Water Quality and Water Pollution Management.
Consequently, the three rivers are listed as priority rivers in the 2015-2019 National Mid-Term Development Planning to be upgraded its qualities.
Lack of discipline and poor waste management behavior resulted to mounting domestic waste polluting the three rivers.
For Ciliwung river, 90 percent of its waste produced by domestic or household activities especially those living in river banks.
READ ALSO: Two Ministries Collaborate on Developing Marine Tourism
Meanwhile, domestic waste contribute 75-80 percent of pollution in Citarum and Cisadane. In addition, 11 rivers flowing from other provinces to DKI Jakarta, such as Pesanggarahan, Cipinang and Sunter, give more pollution.
Onlimo, or Online Monitoring, is an online and real-time water quality monitoring system using integrated censor unit with logger data, data transmission unit or data communication media and database for monitoring.
The device can be applied for water quality monitoring in rivers, oceans or industrial areas.
Onlimo was developed in Indonesia and using Bahasa Indonesia for easy operations by users. The technology was initially designed in 2005 by producing online water quality monitoring system using Global System for Mobile Communications as its communication infrastructure and Short Message Service or SMS as its data communication media.
Reports by Danny Kosasih
21 Apr 2024 
