President Inaugurates IPAL Losari Makassar Worth IDR 1.2 Trillion

Installation of Wastewater Management (IPAL) Metropolitan Investment Project (Integrated Waste Management System) Losari on Jalan Metro Tanjung Bunga, Tamalate District, Makassar, South Sulawesi Thursday (22/2/2024). ANTARA/Darwin Fatir.

MAKASSAR - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated the Integrated Wastewater Management Installation (IPAL) Metropolitan Investment Project (Losari Integrated Wastewater Management System) on Jalan Metro Tanjung Bunga, Makassar, South Sulawesi.

"This centralized domestic waste treatment system in Losari is very important to manage liquid waste to be environmentally friendly and improve the quality of groundwater and raw water as well as the quality of our public health," said President Jokowi when inaugurating the Losari IPAL.

The President also said that the presence of this IPAL is very much needed in increasing public awareness, especially on environmental problems so as not to be polluted.

"This wastewater management system is needed to increase public awareness in order to have attention and concern to jointly overcome environmental pollution in Makassar City," said Jokowi.

The Losari IPAL construction project, said the President, is budgeted at IDR 1.2 trillion through the multi-year system from 2019 to 2023 with the budget of the State Budget, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Makassar City Budget.

"This Losari IPAL was built from 2019-2023 at a cost of Rp1.2 trillion. From the APBN of Rp1.067 trillion, ADBRp672 billion and the Makassar City Budget of Rp150 billion," said the President. IPAL has a capacity of 16 thousand cubic meters per day, with a waste water pipeline network length of 96 kilometers and can serve 41 thousand families.

"That's what I want to convey and by saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim this morning, I inaugurate the Losari-centred domestic waste water management system in Makassar City, South Sulawesi Province," said Jokowi.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Human Settlements, Ministry of PUPR, Diana Kusumastuti stated that after the inauguration of the Central Waste Processing Installation in Makassar, it was the largest in eastern Indonesia with a capacity of 16,000 cubic meters. Sophisticated only in the process between pipes connected directly to the waste transport truck.

"Indeed, there is only one in the Eastern region, in Makassar, which is capable of producing 16,000 cubic meters. Sophisticated, this is processed between pipes and trucks into one truck in the waste, then one is used and processed, after being deposited, then the bacteria are collected," said Diana.

So, he continued, the water from this treatment came out to be clear. Fish can live with treated water. This means that if they are dumped into the river or into the canal, it does not make pollution and environmental damage. "The presence of the centralized Losari IPAL is expected to keep the environment better and public health is maintained. However, the results of wastewater treatment even though it looks clear and does not smell, but cannot be drunk directly," he said.

"Don't drink it, if it's (processed), it means there's no smell, it's clear. If it's dumped in the river or into the canal, it doesn't pollute, and here there are a lot of housing, the water doesn't smell," said the former Director of Building Planning Development, Directorate General of Human Settlements, Ministry of PUPR

According to him, actually there are several waste treatments like this that are being prepared, such as in Mataram, Pontianak and Semarang, as well as several others. Hopefully in metropolitan cities and other big cities there will be waste treatment installations, including later in the capital city of Nusantara (IKN).

"Earlier, it was conveyed by the President who asked here to be operationalized immediately. The tariff was set by the mayor. Then it was connected to all houses, connecting here with the pipes, so they can operate," he said.

Because the capacity is 16 thousand cubic meters, he said, it should be able to connect to 14 thousand houses. This is a little, but if it is not used, unfortunately and this is a treatment with a moving bedbio moviereactor (MBBR) which is quite good processing and will be implemented in other cities including IKN.

The inauguration of the IPAL Losari was also attended by SOE Minister Erick Thohir, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono, Member of Commission V DPR RI Andi Irwan Aras and Muhammad Aras, Acting Governor of South Sulawesi Bahtiar Bahharuddin, Mayor of Makassar Moh Ramdhan Pomanto and other officials.