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| Street sweepers have helped transform the once-dirty Surabaya into a largely trash-free haven with clean sidewalks and conscientious citizens. (JG Photo) |
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It’s nothard to see why Surabaya, the formerly filthy capital of East Java, was chosenas a winner of the 6th Adipura awards for cleanliness this year.
When I visitedthe city recently, I found it to be much greener and cleaner than it was on mylast visit, 12 years ago. I remember Surabaya being like other big cities inJava — crowded, polluted and littered with trash.
But on myrecent visit, from the alleys of small neighborhoods in the city center to thegrand buildings of the Old Town in the north, the streets of Surabaya weretidy, litter-free and open to pedestrians.
For abustling metropolis of around 3.2 million people of various ethnic backgroundspacked into 375 square kilometers, such a turnaround in the city’s cleanlinesshas been no small feat.
Surabaya’scurrent mayor, Tri Rismaharini, deserves some of the credit. Voted into officelast year, Ibu Risma, as she is affectionately known, previously served as headof the Surabaya Parks Agency from 2005 to 2008. During her term there, sheestablished 13 public parks on lots formerly occupied by gas stations. She alsoimproved the city’s existing parks for public use.
As mayor,Ibu Risma has worked to spread awareness among the general population about theimportance of keeping the city clean.
Along amain street in Wonokromo, a crowded area in the city center, I spotted bannersby the roadside that read “Refrain From Littering” and “Collecting Trash IsLike Giving Alms, God Willing.”
I heardsimilar messages broadcast on the city’s radio stations and promoted throughits different neighborhood watch organizations.
From thelook of the city’s main streets, these messages are being heard. Despite thepresence of many small kiosks along the roads, the sidewalks are clean and freeof trash.
It seemsthat there is a growing awareness among the citizens of Surabaya of theimportance of a clean environment, and the community effort required to keepthe city free of garbage.
As I droveinto the city by taxi from Juanda International Airport, I noticed that thegreen belt dividing the two-way highway had been planted with various shrubsand flowers, arranged in way that turned the strip into an aestheticallypleasing green area.
In theearly morning sunshine, I spotted a group of uniformed workers sweeping thecity streets. My taxi driver told me the sweepers worked in shifts around theclock to clear the streets of any organic and inorganic waste. But even withouttheir efforts, he said, many people in Surabaya no longer tossed their garbageon the sidewalk or the street.
“There is agreater awareness now about waste disposal and people want to keep the city clean,”he said.
The numberof green spaces in the city has also increased. Ibu Risma, who studiedarchitecture at the Surabaya Institute of Technology (ITS), has applied greenplanning principles to the reforms she has brought to the city.
The mayor hasordered pedestrian bridges to be built across the city’s main streets andsidewalks to be widened, making it possible for people to walk instead ofdrive. To ensure the safety of pedestrians, CCTV cameras have been installedalong the bridges. Potted plants have been hung beneath bridges and inalleyways to help beautify the city and provide a cooler climate.
The city’smain public parks, such as Taman Bungkul, Taman Bagong and Taman Kalimantan,have also been transformed into open and welcoming spaces for citizens. Peoplefrom all walks of life now gather at the parks to relax with family andfriends. Taman Kalimantan is equipped with rows of stones that people can walkon as a form of reflexology, the foot massage therapy. Taman Bungkul is apopular meeting place after dark, especially on weekends.
Trees,shrubs and flowers have been planted in marvelous arrangements in the parks,which now serve as an oasis from the city streets.
There areplaygrounds for children, kiosks offering various kinds of food, public toiletsand even free hot spots for Internet users. Police officers and public orderofficials can often be seen patrolling the parks, adding to the feeling ofsafety for visitors.
Surabaya’sgreen turnaround shows that cleaning up a major city is not impossible. It isthanks to the efforts of Ibu Risma’s administration and the commitment of thepeople of Surabaya that the 718-year-old city is a delight to visit today.
Othercities across Java should follow in the footsteps of Surabaya and other citiesaround the world. They should provide green spaces and encourage citizens tothink twice about polluting the streets they use every day.
