Hectares of rice contaminated

Hectares of rice contaminated

PURWAKARTA, West Java: Villagers of Cilegong have claimed that
43 hectares of paddy fields have been laid waste by industrial
contamination, Antara reported.

Some rice field owners told Antara early this week that they,
accompanied by village and district administration leaders, were
demanding compensation from companies suspected of dumping
industrial waste.

They planted rice one month ago but the plants died, the
residents said. They added that the companies had dumped
industrial waste into Cikembang River, the rural people's only
source of water for years.

Antara reported that the rice looked dry and had been
inundated with liquid which smelled bad.

Local environmental affairs official, Didin Syahidin,
confirmed that industrial waste had contaminated the rice. "We
are investigating the companies to be held responsible for the
tragedy," he said.

A number of companies producing chemical waste are situated in
the area, including textile companies PT Indorama, PT Mascot, PT
Indo Panca and PT Taroko. The companies allegedly dump waste into
Cikembang River, which runs into Citarum River. (amd)