Troubled waters: what’s causing the mystery foam in a Jakarta canal? Rebecca Ratcliffe, south-east Asia correspondent, and Johanes Hutabarat in Jakarta
A blanket of thick, snow-like foam covers the surface of a canal in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. The froth has exuded from the waters of the east flood canal in Marunda repeatedly over recent years, usually in the rainy season.
Similar pollution has plagued waters in India, including Delhi’s sacred Yamuna River, which has been coated in toxic froth caused by untreated waste, chemicals and pollutants.
In Jakarta, liquid waste, including detergent from homes and nearby factories, has been blamed.