Government called on to clean up water
Government called on to clean up water
JAKARTA (JP): Residents of Munjul village in Cipayung
subdistrict, East Jakarta, are still consuming polluted water
from their wells although the source of pollution had been
removed from their area seven months ago.
They urged the government or city administration to provide
more clean water for them and to clean up the toxic waste in the
area left by waste processing company UD Kurnia.
The residents, a total of 110 families living on Jl. Jankes,
RT 004 RW 01, have taken the case to the local authorities,
including to the village head, several times since 1996.
Their continuing complaints resulted in the decision of local
authorities to evict UD Kurnia from the area in October last
year. However, the water still tastes bitter.
A resident named Bambang (not his real name) said on Wednesday
that they first complained about the contaminated water sometime
in 1996.
"The water from our wells, tastes bitter and it causes skin
irritation, ulcers and even black spots on our skin," he told The
Jakarta Post.
He added that the wells belonging to 70 families in the
neighborhood were all polluted.
Therefore, many residents had abandoned consuming water from
their own wells. They then had to queue to get cleaner water from
wells drilled by local authorities.
At first, Bambang said, they did not know what caused the
problem, but they later suspected that the source of the problem
was the toxic waste coming from UD Kurnia waste recycling plant.
UD Kurnia, which is no longer located there, received the
waste for treatment from PT Indo Lysaght, a producer of zinc
oxide, a material for tires.
"We suspected that the waste had polluted the water because
before they operated here, the water was fine," Bambang said.
Residents then reported the case to the village head, Abdul
Djawad, but there was no follow up.
Finally, around July last year, they went to the Jakarta
chapter of the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi Jakarta)
for assistance.
Chief executive of Walhi Jakarta, Ahmad Safrudin, said Walhi
then contacted the Regional Environmental Impact Management
Agency (Bapedalda) which later conducted water tests in the area
in October last year.
"The results showed that the lead and zinc content in the
water was extremely high, way above acceptable levels," Ahmad
told the Post.
The water obtained from the well located next to the waste
processing site contained 2,758 ppm of lead and 3,653 ppm of
zinc. Water from another well at the site contained 14.48 ppm of
lead and 4,078 ppm of zinc.
The maximum content of lead and zinc, as stipulated in the
Ministry of Health Decree No. 416/1990, is 0.05 ppm and 15 ppm,
respectively.
"It's very dangerous. Long term effects (of consuming polluted
water) include hypertension, decrease in IQ levels in children,
and miscarriage," Ahmad asserted.
Tests conducted by Labiomed, a laboratory owned by the
Indonesian Army, also show that the water in the area failed to
meet the clean water requirements as it had a high percentage of
metal and gas.
The water contained 5 ppm of iron and 3 ppm of nitrate, while
the highest acceptable levels are 0.3 ppm of iron and 1 ppm of
nitrate.
Despite the continuing problem, residents have opted not to
take the case to court as local authorities have responded to
their demand.
However, Bambang said that residents demanded that the
government at least provide more clean water for local residents.
"Four new pump wells have been installed. Two from the East
Jakarta Mayoralty, one from UD Kurnia, and another one from a
wealthy resident. But only one well works," he said.
Two wells from the mayoralty are not used anymore as the water
is oily and dirty while the other was burned by several angry
residents, Bambang said.
Now, Bambang said, residents have to wait in line and share
water with each other.
"Secondly, we demand the government clean up the waste. We
also want the company (UD Kurnia) to provide compensation for our
losses," he said.
Meanwhile, village head Abdul Djawad said that the case had
been blown out of proportion and residents were making an
unnecessary fuss over it.
"The toxic waste issue is only an allegation, it has not been
proven yet. Residents have also reported skin diseases, but where
is the proof?," he said.
"They asked for clean water, we provided the new wells. But
the residents burned it. As for cleaning up the waste, no one can
clean up waste from the earth!" he added.
According to Ahmad, in terms of the extent of the problem, it
is indeed a small case as it only affects a small neighborhood.
"But the pollution is harmful and the effects are serious. So,
it's not a small case," he said.(hdn)