Government called on to clean up water<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Residents of Munjul village in Cipayung
\nsubdistrict, East Jakarta, are still consuming polluted water
\nfrom their wells although the source of pollution had been
\nremoved from their area seven months ago.<\/p>\n
They urged the government or city administration to provide
\nmore clean water for them and to clean up the toxic waste in the
\narea left by waste processing company UD Kurnia.<\/p>\n
The residents, a total of 110 families living on Jl. Jankes,
\nRT 004 RW 01, have taken the case to the local authorities,
\nincluding to the village head, several times since 1996.<\/p>\n
Their continuing complaints resulted in the decision of local
\nauthorities to evict UD Kurnia from the area in October last
\nyear. However, the water still tastes bitter.<\/p>\n
A resident named Bambang (not his real name) said on Wednesday
\nthat they first complained about the contaminated water sometime
\nin 1996.<\/p>\n
\"The water from our wells, tastes bitter and it causes skin
\nirritation, ulcers and even black spots on our skin,\" he told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He added that the wells belonging to 70 families in the
\nneighborhood were all polluted.<\/p>\n
Therefore, many residents had abandoned consuming water from
\ntheir own wells. They then had to queue to get cleaner water from
\nwells drilled by local authorities.<\/p>\n
At first, Bambang said, they did not know what caused the
\nproblem, but they later suspected that the source of the problem
\nwas the toxic waste coming from UD Kurnia waste recycling plant.<\/p>\n
UD Kurnia, which is no longer located there, received the
\nwaste for treatment from PT Indo Lysaght, a producer of zinc
\noxide, a material for tires.<\/p>\n
\"We suspected that the waste had polluted the water because
\nbefore they operated here, the water was fine,\" Bambang said.<\/p>\n
Residents then reported the case to the village head, Abdul
\nDjawad, but there was no follow up.<\/p>\n
Finally, around July last year, they went to the Jakarta
\nchapter of the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi Jakarta)
\nfor assistance.<\/p>\n
Chief executive of Walhi Jakarta, Ahmad Safrudin, said Walhi
\nthen contacted the Regional Environmental Impact Management
\nAgency (Bapedalda) which later conducted water tests in the area
\nin October last year.<\/p>\n
\"The results showed that the lead and zinc content in the
\nwater was extremely high, way above acceptable levels,\" Ahmad
\ntold the Post.<\/p>\n
The water obtained from the well located next to the waste
\nprocessing site contained 2,758 ppm of lead and 3,653 ppm of
\nzinc. Water from another well at the site contained 14.48 ppm of
\nlead and 4,078 ppm of zinc.<\/p>\n
The maximum content of lead and zinc, as stipulated in the
\nMinistry of Health Decree No. 416\/1990, is 0.05 ppm and 15 ppm,
\nrespectively.<\/p>\n
\"It's very dangerous. Long term effects (of consuming polluted
\nwater) include hypertension, decrease in IQ levels in children,
\nand miscarriage,\" Ahmad asserted.<\/p>\n
Tests conducted by Labiomed, a laboratory owned by the
\nIndonesian Army, also show that the water in the area failed to
\nmeet the clean water requirements as it had a high percentage of
\nmetal and gas.<\/p>\n
The water contained 5 ppm of iron and 3 ppm of nitrate, while
\nthe highest acceptable levels are 0.3 ppm of iron and 1 ppm of
\nnitrate.<\/p>\n
Despite the continuing problem, residents have opted not to
\ntake the case to court as local authorities have responded to
\ntheir demand.<\/p>\n
However, Bambang said that residents demanded that the
\ngovernment at least provide more clean water for local residents.<\/p>\n
\"Four new pump wells have been installed. Two from the East
\nJakarta Mayoralty, one from UD Kurnia, and another one from a
\nwealthy resident. But only one well works,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Two wells from the mayoralty are not used anymore as the water
\nis oily and dirty while the other was burned by several angry
\nresidents, Bambang said.<\/p>\n
Now, Bambang said, residents have to wait in line and share
\nwater with each other.<\/p>\n
\"Secondly, we demand the government clean up the waste. We
\nalso want the company (UD Kurnia) to provide compensation for our
\nlosses,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, village head Abdul Djawad said that the case had
\nbeen blown out of proportion and residents were making an
\nunnecessary fuss over it.<\/p>\n
\"The toxic waste issue is only an allegation, it has not been
\nproven yet. Residents have also reported skin diseases, but where
\nis the proof?,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"They asked for clean water, we provided the new wells. But
\nthe residents burned it. As for cleaning up the waste, no one can
\nclean up waste from the earth!\" he added.<\/p>\n
According to Ahmad, in terms of the extent of the problem, it
\nis indeed a small case as it only affects a small neighborhood.<\/p>\n
\"But the pollution is harmful and the effects are serious. So,
\nit's not a small case,\" he said.(hdn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-called-on-to-clean-up-water-1447893297",
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