Drilling permit hampered by law

Drilling permit hampered by law

TANGERANG: Illegal underground drilling is rampant in the
absence of effective bylaws in the Tangerang muncipality.

Chief of the municipal environmental agency, M. Akip, admitted
Thursday that hundred of industrial firms had illegally drilled
deep wells.

He said that though the agency could issue permits for
underground drilling, there were no bylaws that stipulated the
drilling permit application process.

The situation has confused contractors, who wish to abide by
the law.

"I want to abide by the law and that's why I applied for the
permit before taking contracts or ground water drilling
projects," drilling contractor Bambang Sumitro said.

He said the permits were issued by the Directorate of
Environmental Management Geology (GTL) in Bandung before regional
autonomy took effect in January 2000.

Unlike the municipality, the Tangerang regency has no problems
related to the issuance of ground water drilling permits.

Pahala Sirait, chief of ground water at the regional
environmental agency said the regency administration had issued
bylaw No. 6/2002 on ground water use.

"The bylaw was approved by the regency council in July and now
we are ready to serve contractors who want to apply for ground
water drilling permits," he said. --JP