After years of failed clean-up plans, President Joko Widodo earlier this year announced an ambitious goal – to revitalise Citarum River and … People were able to play and swim in the river, raft down the rapids, and even drink from it. In some stretches, West Java's Citarum River can turn green, yellow, navy blue or maroon before returning to black - all in a matter of hours. Today it is no longer the case. The island’s largest river supports more than 30 million residents who rely on the water source for agricultural, domestic and personal use. The Citarum river, in West Java, Indonesia, is so polluted that the number of species of fish that swim in it has reduced by 60 per cent in recent years, and the fish left … Located 70km east of Jakarta, it is one of the 10 most polluted rivers in the world. Jakarta Globe brings our readers unrivaled, authoritative reporting and writing in English on Indonesia, Asia and the wider world. On the day I went down the river with Rahmat, it was 91 degrees Fahrenheit. In the mid-70s, Citarum River still flowed freely, its waters abundant and clear. Covering an area of approximately 13,000 square kilometers, the river provides as much as 80% of surface water to Jakarta’s water supply, 5% of water needed for irrigation of rice farms, and to over 2000 industrial factories in the area. As Indonesia’s most strategic river, the Citarum is the source of water for the Jatiluhur Reservoir, which is Indonesia’s largest reservoir at 3 billion cubic meters of storage capacity. Now, the Citarum River is a river of sorrow. Forty miles east of Jakarta, Indonesia, the river Citarum runs over 186 miles from the Wayang Mountain to the Java Sea. Jakarta Globe brings our readers unrivaled, authoritative reporting and writing in English on Indonesia, Asia and the wider world. A nauseating stench filled the air. Many of the smaller villages lining the Citarum River have no public garbage collection or landfills, leaving people to choose between burning their waste or throwing it into the river. [River Pollution: byrev] The Citarum river has been reported as one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Forty miles east of Jakarta, Indonesia, the river Citarum runs over 186 miles from the Wayang Mountain to the Java Sea.