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Three cities awarded for being country's cleanest, greenest
The Environment and Forestry Ministry has given this yearâs Adipura Kencana Award to Surabaya in East Java, Balikpapan in East Kalimantan and Kendari in Southeast Sulawesi, recognizing them as the countryâs cleanest and greenest cities
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he Environment and Forestry Ministry has given this year's Adipura Kencana Award to Surabaya in East Java, Balikpapan in East Kalimantan and Kendari in Southeast Sulawesi, recognizing them as the country's cleanest and greenest cities.
Surabaya municipal chief spokesman M. Fikser acknowledged that the award, which was presented by Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya in Jakarta on Monday, was a credit to former Surabaya mayor Tri 'Risma' Rismaharini's contributions during her tenure as the city's leader.
According to Fikser, the leadership of Risma, who fulfilled her term and is set to race for the position again in local elections on Dec. 9, was influential in the behavior of Surabaya residents.
'Especially in terms of maintaining hygiene, the Surabaya public follows the example of Ibu Risma. This is what made Surabaya win the award for cleanliness in a metropolis,' he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
The award, the fourth for the city, Fikser added, was part of Risma's hard work in leading Surabaya, especially her success in managing the Benowo garbage landfill.
The same sentiment was expressed by Surabaya resident Rochman Arif, 38, of Gubeng district.
'Surabaya's success in attaining the Adipura Kencana Award is attributed to the role of Ibu Risma when she was mayor,' he said.
The city won the award, which denotes the highest level of cleanliness on the national level, in both 2014 and 2015.
This, said Rochman, was attributed to Risma's firm leadership.
'Although she is no longer mayor, she deserves to be praised. Surabaya residents just have to follow what she had done,' he said.
Risma, who was first elected mayor of Surabaya in 2010, is regarded as the frontrunner for the upcoming mayoral election following her success in transforming the provincial capital's state of neglect into a city with many first-class public parks. Risma, however, must step down early, as her leadership term ended in late September.
Separately, Balikpapan was also again the recipient of an Adipura Kencana Award. It was the third Adipura in three years and the 18th in 19 years for the so-called oil city.
'I am extremely grateful to all citizens, as well as to members of the 'yellow troops' of the Sanitation, Parks and Cemetery Office [DKPP],' said Mayor Rizal Effendi on Wednesday, adding that the DKPP had spearheaded the city's cleanliness campaign.
The DKPP's 'troops', as in other cities, are Balikpapan's street sweepers and garbage collectors. They number 3,000 people and work in every corner of the city.
Balikpapan was deemed worthy of the Adipura award in several areas, including garbage management and air pollution control.
'Besides dumping garbage at the landfill, it is also managed by garbage banks, where waste is sorted to be recycled,' said Mekarsari garbage bank manager Amir.
In Balikpapan, children are taught from a young age to sort waste. In schools, teachers intensify lessons on garbage disposal and throwing waste in the right place.
'We don't only provide garbage bins at school, but always remind students about the use of garbage bins,' said high school SMA Patra Dharma teacher Endah.
For air pollution control, Balikpapan relies on the Sungai Wain and Sungai Manggar protection forests as well as a number of urban forests that serve as the city's lungs.
As much as 60 percent of northern Balikpapan has been dedicated to protection forests to balance out development in the southern parts of the city.
