By: Dr.Asnelly Rida DaulayThe Batanghari RIVER has become an icon of Jambi, always connected with Jambi Province even though this water trunk stretches across five provinces.This is because most of the Batanghari river area is in Jambi Province.Based on the Regulation of the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Number 04/PRT/M/2015 concerning Criteria and Determination of River Areas, the Batanghari River Basin (WS) is spread over several regencies/cities in Jambi Province and West Sumatra Province (majority area) as well as Bengkulu Province, South Sumatra and Riau (minority areas).The condition of the Batanghari river is not in good condition.Based on data released by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 2021, the Water Quality Index in Jambi Province (which samples were taken at various points on the Batanghari River) was in the bad category, at 48.96 points.This value is not surprising, the current utilization of the Batanghari river is not managed properly.This river is open to anyone (open access), without any party firmly maintaining its sustainability.Based on data from the Jambi Province Environmental Service, there are several water parameters that exceed water quality standards, namely TDS, TSS, BOD, COD, Total Phosphate, Faecal Coli, Total Coliform, Zinc, and Ammonia.The excess of these elements in river water is an indication of water pollution due to household waste, excessive use of fertilizers, industrial waste, soil erosion, turbidity due to mining activities and others.The declaration of the Batanghari Clean River Movement by the Governor of Jambi in March 2022 was a form of attention from the regional head on the condition of the river that was sick and needed to be restored.The governor of Jambi is the first governor in Sumatra, perhaps the first in Indonesia to pay serious attention to rivers (while many governors are more concerned with development projects on the mainland).Mining without a permit for gold, sand and stone along rivers, houses that turn their backs on the river and turn it into a dumping ground for garbage, critical riverbanks, or planted with oil palm to the edge of the river are violations that have been allowed for so long and are now difficult to control. .There is optimism from the Clean Batanghari movement, but without the support of the Regency and City Governments whose territory Batanghari flows through, it will be dim.Does this support already exist?Wallahualam.Most of the Environmental Services in districts and cities do not have programs/activities related to river restoration, plus they are facing limited budgets.They have not been able to become the driving force for river recovery activities.The responsibility for the restoration of the Batanghari river certainly does not lie with the Environment Agency alone, because the current damage is caused by a very wide range of development activities, ranging from mining, plantations, food agriculture, industry and the socio-economic activities of the community.Agencies that handle these sectors must also think about measures to control river and natural damage.The momentum for the ongoing revision of the Jambi Province Spatial Planning (RTRW) is expected to become an effective instrument for controlling and managing the use of space along the river.One of the things that is awaited from this RTRW revision is the emergence of People's Mining Areas (WPR) in areas where illegal gold, sand and stone mining is very prevalent at this time.The WPR which is followed up with a People's Mining Permit (IPR) will open up opportunities for the general public to carry out legal mining activities and they will receive guidance from the government.Reclamation or restoration of ex-mining land in WPR will later be the responsibility of the local government.This is certainly better than the current condition where all parties are hands off to repair damaged areas.River management is actually planned with synergy and integration between regions, sectors and generations.An ecoregional development approach that integrates socio-economic aspects and natural resource management, and conservation is important in the districts/cities that the Batanghari river passes because they are located on the same geographical stretch, with similar climate, soil, water, native flora and fauna. , as well as patterns of community interaction with nature.If the Governor can be the 'commander' to implement the concept of ecoregion development, of course, clean Batanghari can become a reality more quickly.Encouraging community involvement to love the river is also very necessary.In the past, the people's bond with the river was very strong.The river is not only a place for bathing, but also for playing and chatting with peers, fishing, transportation routes and the location of religious and cultural rituals.In contrast to hotels or villas that charge the highest rates for rooms facing the river/lake/sea, houses by the river do not consider river views as something of high value.Society does the opposite;build kitchens and latrines in the part of the house closest to the river so that it is easy to dispose of waste there.It's time to stop the inappropriate treatment of rivers.Changing the way people think, especially those who live on the riverbanks requires marathon and sustainable work.The support of government institutions, non-government institutions and village officials is very much needed.The achievement of Batanghari Bersih cannot be instant.For this program to be successful, the working concept must be clear, all parties involved and there must be strong resource support.(The author is an observer of environmental issues and the Head of Pollution Control and Environmental Damage of the DLH Jambi Province).Also Read: Allegedly Polluted Pengabuan River, DPR RI Visits LocationFOLLOW MORE NEWS ON GOOGLE NEWS