Save Kg Ayer From Drowning In Rubbish
By Ignatius Stephen

Bandar Seri Begawan - There was utter disbelief. How could that be? It was so nauseating.

The sight of tonnes of floating debris and the constant refuse that everyone seemed to cast out was enough to turn anyone's stomach. It was indeed not a welcoming spectacle.

"Brunei is supposed to be-one of the richest countries in the region. How come its main tourist attraction is so polluted with garbage?" a bewildered tourist, who had just gone on a Kampong Ayer boat ride, couldn't help but remark.

It was one of the highlights of his visit to Brunei. He and his friends were delighted with the friendly boatman and the smiling children.

The hospitality of the people as he took the guests for an impromptu home visit in the water village was a simply unexpected delight. The view of the hundreds of homes on the water and the sunset against the splendid backdrop of the golden domed mosque was breathtaking.

It was indeed a tour worth taking. The sheer peace as you skimmed over the placid waters with the distant call to prayers rising above the drone of the motor skimming past the slightly choppy river was therapeutic.

What a wonderful evening just after tea. But the man could not forget the rubbish, the filthy flotsam and jetsam that marred the scene.

And at one place somewhere downriver he came across the most shocking sight of all: a revolting mass of filth he had ever seen. It was low tide and packs of stray dogs foraged about and large flocks of birds picked on the mount of refuse. And as the boat cruised by the stench was revolting. He quickly directed the cruise away from the disgusting sight.

No doubt the next tide and an accompanying downpour will wash the dreadful accumulation away. But somewhere else perhaps at another bend of the river the sorry scene, alas, will repeat in time.

Back on shore the visitor recounted the episode to friends. No doubt he will tell others as well. And that is not good for the country or its tourism industry.

He was genuinely concerned. He wished that something could be done.

He really seemed to like Brunei and hoped to return one day. But then when he comes back, perhaps, in a couple of year's time will the mountain of garbage still be there? Or will the mess be even bigger? Or else, will he enjoy his Brunei River cruise minus the floating junk and filth?

However, how can we save Kampong Ayer from disease and severe pollution, you may ask. It is, after all, our national heritage, and the problem is real.

First stop the rubbish at its source, someone the other day suggested. That would call for-individual contributions: Educate the people from dumping everything into the river.

At the moment even unwanted fridges and even larger household items are dumped into the water. Get the people involved. Mount a campaign on TV and newspapers and other media to keep the river clean. That would be a first important step.

Let the minister and other officials mention it in their speeches. In other words, create awareness.

People who live there and the hundreds of river taxis should be the eyes and ears, and they should turn into environmentalists. That way, as an initial step, the source of the rubbish is stopped.

Some years ago a river clean-up scheme was launched but what happened was that more garbage was dumped and it was hard to keep up with the cleaning.

Save our mangroves, too, in the process. Mangroves create nursery areas for fish and other wildlife and reduce erosion and reflected wave energy.

We should protect and restore remaining natural mangrove riverbanks they are nature's own filtering system. Besides it provides a mysterious backdrop, which seldom fails to thrill tourists.

"What is inside those dark clumps of vegetation?", they usually ask. And you can spin your stories around that. What about giant crocodiles, for example? -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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