Jakarta Globe, Wahyuni Kamah, September 06, 2011
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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 not
hard to see why Surabaya, the formerly filthy capital of East Java, was chosen
as a winner of the 6th Adipura awards for cleanliness this year.
When I visited
the city recently, I found it to be much greener and cleaner than it was on my
last visit, 12 years ago. I remember Surabaya being like other big cities in
Java — crowded, polluted and littered with trash.
But on my
recent visit, from the alleys of small neighborhoods in the city center to the
grand buildings of the Old Town in the north, the streets of Surabaya were
tidy, litter-free and open to pedestrians.
For a
bustling metropolis of around 3.2 million people of various ethnic backgrounds
packed into 375 square kilometers, such a turnaround in the city’s cleanliness
has been no small feat.
Surabaya’s
current mayor, Tri Rismaharini, deserves some of the credit. Voted into office
last year, Ibu Risma, as she is affectionately known, previously served as head
of the Surabaya Parks Agency from 2005 to 2008. During her term there, she
established 13 public parks on lots formerly occupied by gas stations. She also
improved the city’s existing parks for public use.
As mayor,
Ibu Risma has worked to spread awareness among the general population about the
importance of keeping the city clean.
Along a
main street in Wonokromo, a crowded area in the city center, I spotted banners
by the roadside that read “Refrain From Littering” and “Collecting Trash Is
Like Giving Alms, God Willing.”
I heard
similar messages broadcast on the city’s radio stations and promoted through
its different neighborhood watch organizations.
From the
look of the city’s main streets, these messages are being heard. Despite the
presence of many small kiosks along the roads, the sidewalks are clean and free
of trash.
It seems
that there is a growing awareness among the citizens of Surabaya of the
importance of a clean environment, and the community effort required to keep
the city free of garbage.
As I drove
into the city by taxi from Juanda International Airport, I noticed that the
green belt dividing the two-way highway had been planted with various shrubs
and flowers, arranged in way that turned the strip into an aesthetically
pleasing green area.
In the
early morning sunshine, I spotted a group of uniformed workers sweeping the
city streets. My taxi driver told me the sweepers worked in shifts around the
clock to clear the streets of any organic and inorganic waste. But even without
their efforts, he said, many people in Surabaya no longer tossed their garbage
on the sidewalk or the street.
“There is a
greater awareness now about waste disposal and people want to keep the city clean,”
he said.
The number
of green spaces in the city has also increased. Ibu Risma, who studied
architecture at the Surabaya Institute of Technology (ITS), has applied green
planning principles to the reforms she has brought to the city.
The mayor has
ordered pedestrian bridges to be built across the city’s main streets and
sidewalks to be widened, making it possible for people to walk instead of
drive. To ensure the safety of pedestrians, CCTV cameras have been installed
along the bridges. Potted plants have been hung beneath bridges and in
alleyways to help beautify the city and provide a cooler climate.
The city’s
main public parks, such as Taman Bungkul, Taman Bagong and Taman Kalimantan,
have also been transformed into open and welcoming spaces for citizens. People
from all walks of life now gather at the parks to relax with family and
friends. Taman Kalimantan is equipped with rows of stones that people can walk
on as a form of reflexology, the foot massage therapy. Taman Bungkul is a
popular 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 are
playgrounds for children, kiosks offering various kinds of food, public toilets
and even free hot spots for Internet users. Police officers and public order
officials can often be seen patrolling the parks, adding to the feeling of
safety for visitors.
Surabaya’s
green turnaround shows that cleaning up a major city is not impossible. It is
thanks to the efforts of Ibu Risma’s administration and the commitment of the
people of Surabaya that the 718-year-old city is a delight to visit today.
Other
cities across Java should follow in the footsteps of Surabaya and other cities
around the world. They should provide green spaces and encourage citizens to
think twice about polluting the streets they use every day.
