Companies pollute river

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Ninety percent of the wastes dumped into the Belumai River, in Tanjung Morawa subdistrict, Deli Serdang district in the province of North Sumatra come from three companies, a survey said.

The remaining 10 percent comes from other industries and people living along the riverbanks, the head of a project measuring river pollution levels, HWK Berghuis, told provincial government officials and deputy chief of the Environmental Management Board (Bapedal) Nabiel Makarim Monday.

Berghuis was quoted by Antara as saying water samples from the upper and lower portions of the river were tested between July and October last year.

He said the three companies, PT Sari Morawa and PT Gelanggang Ria, both chopstick producers, and PT Bebasari Tekstil, respectively dumped 321 kg, 69 kg and 290 kg of waste with high bio-chemical oxygen demand (BOD) as well as wastes containing high levels of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia.

The companies have a maximum disposal respectively of 419 kg, 167 kg and 470 kg of wastes per day, he added.

He said wastes dumped by residents contained many kinds of bacteria, including the E-Coli.

Meanwhile, Amiruddin Ritonga of the North Sumatra administration said the survey was measuring the river's pollution levels because many people continued to use the water.

He said the administration would seek help in ridding the river of wastes for the sake of the 20,000 people living along its banks.

The survey was conducted by the Dutch company MH Nederland BV and the Indonesian company PT Swadesi Medan, in cooperation with the North Sumatra administration. (swe)