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)