A stupid myth for which Indonesians are destroying a river with diapers (5 photos)

Indonesian rivers are pretty dirty, but the biggest obstacle to the flow are hundreds, no THOUSANDS of diapers. People have somehow gotten used to the idea that disposable straws or packaging are bad for everything, but it turns out that one old myth and diapers can kill an entire ecosystem.





They also swell when they hit the water

What kind of myth is this about diapers?

Indonesians have a concept called "suleten". Suleten is a local legend that everything a baby uses is connected to its soul. Yes, including diapers.

And according to this belief, burning or throwing used diapers in the trash will harm the baby's soul. It is more desirable to throw the diaper in the river or bury it. Then the diaper will be able to retain the coolness and comfort that the baby felt then. Such a strange twist of logic.



The main thing is not to burn the spirit particles that came into contact with the child, something like that

Many residents of Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, still adhere to the idea of ​​"sulten." Surabaya residents do not want their children's used diapers to end up in landfills (where they might be burned) for fear of the children's well-being.

And because of the sulten, they throw the diapers into the water, no matter how much you try to convince them.





In fact, the most garbage river is the Ganges...

According to a World Bank report, diapers make up 21% of all waste polluting the seas of Indonesia. They are the second most common form of waste in the ocean. In first place are organics with 44 percent. In third place are plastic bags - 16%.

You will say that suleten is an old wives' tale, the world has changed. But the truth is, it is the youth who have children. That is why it is the youth who believe in it so fervently. And if they don't believe, their parents give them a bag of diapers and send them to drown them in the river.



Agitational posters don't help here at all

Young people obey, just so they don't have to argue with the older generation, it's not worth it. This was also proven by the fact that the largest number of buried and discarded diapers were on the bridges that the largest number of young people cross.

During one cleanup, you can get up to 300 kilograms of diapers, and in a month there will be the same amount. That's why you need to fight the cause, not the effect, that's why they try to educate the population.



This is what the river looks like under the bridge near residential villages. Well, ugh, Indonesians, to live like this!

But so far it has helped very little. In East Java, the administration has installed diaper disposal stations and CCTV cameras along the Brantas River. For throwing into the river - a fine of 500,000 rupees. For many residents, this is a week's wages, but it does not work very well, the number of diapers has not decreased yet.

This is how humanity was able to invent diapers, but did not have time to get rid of primitive superstitions, we live in amazing times!