After the awful traffic, one of the top complaints that people have about Jakarta is that it’s dirty and polluted. And there’s no denying that waste management remains a huge problem in the capital. But people should also be willing to recognize some of the impressive progress that the government has been making in cleaning up parts of Jakarta.
Particularly, more people should be aware of the incredibly hard and literally dirty work done by Dinas Kebersihan Jakarta (Jakarta Sanitation Agency) and their #PasukanOrange (Orange Troops) who do the work the rest of us don’t even want to think about, such as cleaning up the muck and waste clogging the capital’s rivers. It’s high time they got more recognition and respect for their dedication to what many would consider an impossible task.
Fortunately, thanks to social media, the Orange Troops are starting to have their work recognized. Lately a collection of photos showing off how clean many of Jakarta’s rivers are now went viral after being shared by Dinas Kebersihan Head Isnawa Adji. The photos depict bodies of water including the Sunter Molek River, Malang River, Lake Cipayung, Sunter water gate and the Cipinang River.
One of the commenters on the second set of photos wrote, “I am more willing to pay my taxes to pay for the Orange Troops, compared to paying for DPR/DPRD members. Thanks Orange Troops :)”
Cleaning up Jakarta’s rivers is not just a dirty job, it can also be dangerous, as shown by this photo of a huge snake found by the Orange Troops cleaning up the Sunter Molek River in East Jakarta. As the caption notes, the snake’s presence is actually a sign that the river’s ecosystem is becoming healthy again.
The Orange Troops didn’t take a break over the recent long holiday either, as shown by this photos of their cleanup efforts on the Sunter River.
Their work is not just being appreciated online. Here are some photos showing kids playing in the cleaned up waters of the Angke River in North Jakarta.
Jakarta definitely still has a long way to go before people start using the word “clean” to describe it. But the progress made by Dinas Kerbersihan Jakarta and the Orange Troops is impressive and we salute them for their hard work.
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