Bekasi home to 200 polluting firms

Bekasi home to 200 polluting firms

BEKASI: Some 200 companies in Bekasi pollute the people's
wells as they dump their waste in ditches without proper waste
treatment, a local councillor says.

Deputy head of the Bekasi Council Commission B on economic
affairs Nurul Yaqin Setiabudi said on Friday that many people had
lodged complaints about the pollution with the council as well as
the local administration. The people also demanded that the
polluting firms be punished, Antara reported.

The companies are violating Law No. 5/1984 on the environment,
Setiabudi said, adding that his commission had formed a team to
deal with the issue.

"We urge the companies to buy equipment to process their
waste," Setiabudi said.

A palm oil producer said he had no facility to process the
waste, but said that he would consider buying such equipment.
--JP