Regent orders company to stop sand quarrying

Regent orders company to stop sand quarrying

TANGERANG (JP): In response to protests from students of a
private school, the Tangerang regency administration has ordered
a private company, which carried out unauthorized sand quarrying,
to stop its activities.

Tangerang Regent H. Saifulah Abdulrachman dispatched a team of
Public and Law Bureau officials to the sand quarrying site on
Thursday. Keys, trucks and excavators of PT JBI's were
confiscated.

Kompas reported yesterday that the team also ordered the
drivers of 30 heavy trucks transporting sand from the quarry
locations to return their cargo to the areas they took the sand
from.

The sand quarries are located in the subdistrict of
Jatiwaringin, Mauk and Mekarsari subdistrict, Rajeg.

Tens of students of the Al Asriyah Islamic boarding school in
Gintung village, who were disturbed by the noise of passing
trucks carrying sand from quarry locations, took their case to
the Regency Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

E. Idris, a member of the Tangerang regency legislative
assembly, said that sand quarrying on northern coastline areas
has actually been prohibited since 1985 because the expanding
activities of unauthorized sand quarrying is environmentally
damaging.

Idris added that the uncontrolled sand quarrying is also in
violation of 1990 Presidential Decree No. 33 which requires the
regency administration to preserve all fertile land used as rice
fields.

Meanwhile, the daily reported that several companies continue
unauthorized quarrying in the village of Pakualam, Pakuhaji
despite an order from the Tangerang regency administration to
stop the activities.

The sand quarrying site, which occupies a four-hectare area,
is just one kilometer away from Pakuhaji district office.(03/has)