Rawabuaya residents upset by contamination of water<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of Rawabuaya residents in West Jakarta
\nare angry that their wells, from which water is drawn for
\ncooking, drinking and washing, have been for several weeks
\ncontaminated by unknown chemicals, subdistrict head Maulana said
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
According to Maulana, the water, which has turned yellow and
\nhas a strong odor, has been polluted by toxic waste believed to
\nhave been dumped by a nearby biscuit factory.<\/p>\n
"The residents said they get itchy red marks on their bodies
\nand could not stop scratching after consuming the water," he told
\nThe Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
"They also said the water is very smelly, and that the bad
\nsmell comes out of the wells and prevents them from sleeping,"
\nMaulana added.<\/p>\n
"Washing clothes with that water is also impossible. It's
\nsoapy and might harm the skin."<\/p>\n
The contamination was first detected last month when dozens of
\nresidents found their bodies itchy after bathing with water taken
\nfrom wells.<\/p>\n
Maulana explained that the residents had submitted their
\ncomplaint to the company on Feb. 7 but did not receive any
\nresponse from the factory's management.<\/p>\n
The case was then brought to the West Jakarta public order
\noffice.<\/p>\n
Journal Siahaan, who heads the office, said West Jakarta
\npublic officials had investigated the matter and had concluded
\nthat the factory, owned by PT Migro Brothers, was responsible for
\nthe pollution of the groundwater in the Rawabuaya area.<\/p>\n
"The West Jakarta public order office has already dispatched
\nan urgent letter to the factory owner to appear at the West
\nJakarta mayoralty office on Thursday (today)," Journal said.<\/p>\n
Journal added that the investigation is still going on to
\ndetermine how and for how long the factory has dumped its toxic
\nwaste in the area.<\/p>\n
"So far we've received similar complaints from at least four
\nneighborhood units." he said.<\/p>\n
Only a wall separates the communities from the factory, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
When contacted on Wednesday, none of the factory's executives
\nwere willing to comment on the matter.<\/p>\n
In another related development on Wednesday, hundreds of
\nresidents of the Pulogadung and Rawa Terate area in East Jakarta
\nand the neighboring Pegangsaan area in North Jakarta voiced
\ncomplaints that the air was heavily polluted with sulfur.<\/p>\n
According to Rawa Terate subdistrict head Sukrawinata, the
\npollution is caused by sulfur released into the atmosphere by PT
\nMahkota Indonesia, a chemical factory in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
"It's definitely sulfur in the air. It has caused breathing
\nproblems, vomiting and bad coughs among residents," he told the
\nPost.<\/p>\n
Sukrawinata said residents had been suffering from the sulfur
\npollution for almost two weeks.<\/p>\n
"They could not stand the smell any longer and went to the
\nfactory on Jl. Raya Bekasi, Pegangsaan, on Monday," he said.<\/p>\n
But they were blocked by the factory's security guards, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Just like Migro Brothers, none of the company's management
\ncould be reached for comment.<\/p>\n
The smelly air also affected passengers at the city's major
\nPulogadung bus terminal in East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
A senior official at the terminal, who asked not to be named,
\nsaid: "People getting on and off the buses here have to cover
\ntheir noses and faces with handkerchiefs although the factory is
\nabout three kilometers away.<\/p>\n
"I myself try not to go out of my office here too often," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Abujoewono, secretary of the Jakarta's chapter of the National
\nEnvironment Protection Agency, said his office would investigate
\nthe cases and promised to take stern measures against the
\ncompanies. (ylt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rawabuaya-residents-upset-by-contamination-of-water-1447893297",
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