Ciliwung (means "Turbid water" in Sundanese) is a river that passes through Jakarta, Indonesia. The river flows from its source near Puncak on the highlands of Mount Gede, West Java to the Jakarta Bay. The Ciliwung river is heavily polluted. Many poor citizens are forced to live by the river because it is all they can afford. There is no organised rubbish collection for this area, so waste ends up in the river. Because they cannot afford clean drinking water, many of the residents are forced to boil and drink the water from the river, causing many health problems.
Circa 1720, there were many sugar factories built along Ciliwung River. Out of some 130 factories, there were 50 sugar factories located on the bank of the river. The workers always threw the sugar cane rubbish into the river and were not aware that it would clog the river flow over time.
Famous quotes containing the word river:
“There is a river in Macedon, and there is moreover a river in Monmouth. It is called Wye at Monmouth, but it is out of my prains what is the name of the other river; but ‘tis all one, ‘tis alike as my fingers is to my fingers, and there is salmons in both.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)