Indonesia: Jakarta canal covered in 'mystery' foam as pollution exacerbates

A blanket of thick, snow-like foam covered the surface of a canal in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. The froth exuded from the waters of the east flood canal in Marunda repeatedly over recent years, according to a report by The Guardian. While the specific cause is yet to be determined by the authorities, experts have blamed liquid waste including detergents for the ‘mysterious foam’.

While pollution in Jakarta’s water bodies has been concerning the city’s authorities for quite some time now, it is only with the advent of pandemic and its byproducts that it has exacerbated. One recent study found that the debris in two rivers- Cilincing and Marunda- has risen by 5 per cent since 2016. As per the study, the river waste has been driven by pandemic products including face masks, gloves, hazmat suits amongst others.

The government has previously used netting to trap waste so that it won’t flow out to sea, and deployed teams to pick items from the surface. However, the condition is worsening with each passing day. Jakarta, a coastal town famous amongst tourists for its culture and cuisines, is not only threatened by water pollution, but also by air pollution and congested, clusters roads.

Similiar calamity

Meanwhile, a similar slimy foam has blanketed the Marmara Sea, located entirely within the borders of Turkey, raising concerns amongst environmentalists and biologists. While the naturally occurring sea snot was first documented in Turkey in 2007, it has grown at alarming levels this year. Photographs and video clips that surfaced on the internet show ships and boats jammed by the sea snot while underground footages depict corals, fish suffocated by it.

Sea Snot, also known as marine mucilage, is a collection of thick, slimy, mucus-like substance found in the sea. It is composed of compounds secreted by marine organisms. At present, it has not only bloomed in the Marmara but also in adjoining the area of the black and the Aegean Sea. Experts have blamed the bloom on Chemical and Industrial waste as well as devastating climate change.

Representative Image: AP