Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The environmental affairs ministry will focus on handling domestic wastes in controlling pollution, according to a minister.

A well and measurable plan was needed to control pollution, Environmental Affairs Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said in a press conference here Wednesday after the opening of a Technical Working Meeting on Environmental Pollution Control.

The meeting discussed efforts to minimize pollution by 2014 and to decrease greenhouse gas emission by 2020.

According to Gusti, his ministry has paid special attention to the river basins of Ciliwung river in West Java and Jakarta, and Begawan Solo in Central and East Java.

The government has launched a project of Feces-Free Ciliwung by 2020, while Begawan Solo is polluted by wastes from small-scale tahu (tofu)/tempe (soybean cake), poultry and cattle farms, and batik industry.

The environmental affairs ministry has various programs to deal with pollution problems such as the Clean River Program (Prokasih), the Blue Sky Program, the Company Environmental Management Performance Rating Program and the Small-scale business and domestic waste control.

Earlier this year, Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said the government had targeted to slash national garbage production by 7 percent per year.

"We have set ourselves the target of reducing national garbage production by 7 percent per annum," he said.

However, the target would not be achieved without the public`s support, he said.
(Uu.F001/HAJM)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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