Polluting pig breeders warned

JAKARTA (JP): The West Jakarta mayoralty has ordered 43 hog breeders in Kapuk, Cengkareng, to clean-up their operations by July 15 or face legal action.

Mayoralty officials say that the farmers, who together raise about 40,000 pigs, have failed to maintain proper sanitation and have allowed the animals' waste to severely pollute the surrounding environment, including nearby roads.

"The breeders should have processed the waste before dumping it into the river," mayoralty assistant Roekino said over the weekend, as quoted by the Suara Pembaruan daily.

Roekino warns that under Indonesian environmental laws, the breeders are liable to prosecution, and if found guilty, they can be fined up to Rp 100 million (US$44,000) and/or jailed for up to 10 years.

"It's up to them," he said. "They can go to court or clean-up their mess."

Chairman of the Pig Breeders Association, Ali Satrio said that the breeders want to pursue out-of-court settlements and will seek to relocate the farms if they can locate a more suitable alternative land space. (yns)