THERE is no longer any difference between some rivers and a septic tank. Thats how poor conditions are in Bekasi, West Java. These rivers have been covered in waste from toilets along the banks, mixed with the soapsuds from nearby houses. But, what is even more worrying, Bekasis nine rivers are essentially waste containers for the toxic fluids that flow from the hundreds of surrounding factories.

One example is the Bekasi River, the worst of the l