15 firms warned over pollution

15 firms warned over pollution

SURAKARTA, Central Java: Authorities in Karanganyar, Central
Java, warned 15 companies in the regency that they would face
pollution charges unless they improved the management of their
waste water.

"We are giving the 15 companies until this March to comply
with the warning or face charges in court," Karanganyar Regent
Tjipto Hartono said after the launch of the Vision 2005 clean
river program in Palur on Friday.

He said the local administration has already given the
companies several warnings, which they ignored, and that this was
their last warning.

Asked about the pollution, Tjipto said the companies were
dumping waste water directly into rivers in the regency because
they did not have waste water treatment plants.

He said there had been numerous complaints about the pollution
by people living along the rivers.

"The 15 companies have dumped waste into the Bengawan Solo
River, the largest river flowing through the regency, the Sroyo
River, the Pengok River and the Ngringo River," he said.

He said the pollution of the rivers had been confirmed by the
local office of the Environmental Impact Management Agency, which
monitored the companies' waste.

Tjipto said the local administration was determined to make
the clean river program a success so that water from the rivers
could be used by locals for numerous purposes by 2005. --Antara