0 Langit Biru clean air award for Denpasar

Denpasar’s mayoralty office has received the prestigious “Langit Biru” Blue Sky Award for its effective programs to clean up the city’s air and environment. Environment Minister LH Balthasar Kambuaya presented the award to Denpasar and other cities in Indonesia that had shown a strong commitment to creating environmentally friendly spaces for their residents. A.A. Bagus Sudarsana, head of Denpasar Environmental Agency, said the award assessment covered a number of criteria such as emissions levels, air quality, transportation management and other factors. 

Denpasar was considered one of the best cities in Indonesia in terms of its air quality and emissions control. “The award has motivated us [the mayoralty] to improve our environmental programs,” said Sudarsana. Among the most immediate action is its preparations to issue a bylaw on environmental protection. “We are now working to prepare for the draft of the bylaw,” he said. The planned bylaw would become the first potential legally binding instrument in Denpasar to regulate various environmental issues such as water-management systems, environmental assessment studies, the existence of open and green zones, management of river beds, groundwater exploration, and transportation among others. 

At present, most provinces and regencies enforce the National Law on Environment translated into decrees issued by respective governors, mayors and regents. “The enactment of the proposed bylaw on the environment will give power to the local authority to enforce it and to take sanctions against violators of the bylaw,” Sudarsana said. In the last few years, Denpasar administration has conducted a series of free emissions tests for motor vehicles. The mayoralty office has also collaborated with automotive companies to take part in the emissions-test programs, held four times a year. 

“Private companies must take part in maintaining a clean environment as part of their corporate social responsibility [CSR] programs.” In addition to the automotive industry, Denpasar administration has also joined hands with the hotel and restaurant sector in implementing various environmental programs. Hotels and restaurants were strictly required to hold tests to detect the level of air pollution within their establishments. Smoke from their kitchens must not exceed the acceptable level, Sudarsana said. Saving energy and clean energy programs are among the joint efforts to keep the city clean and healthy. 

Maintaining and controlling the city’s green and open spaces was also on the agenda, he said. “The administration has given various incentives to encourage people to maintain their green areas. Offices and educational institutions are obliged to develop gardens and open spaces,” he added. Mass public transportation management systems are being implemented together with Badung, Tabanan and Gianyar regencies to reduce traffic jams and to encourage people to use public transportation — thereby reducing the number of vehicles on the roads. 

Gede Ambara, head of food crops and horticulture at the Denpasar Agriculture Agency, said he was supportive of the city’s green- and open-spaces program. “The office is now developing urban-farming programs to provide job opportunities for urban residents and at the same time to maintain green zones in the city,” he said.

source : bali daily