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)