Residents use untested water

TERNATE, Maluku: Thousands of migrants from central Java and local residents in three districts have to use unsafe river water for their daily needs, an official said Saturday.

Residents in the area are exposed to diseases like diarrhea and skin infections, Antara reported yesterday.

The districts affected are Tebele in northern Maluku, Tobelo in northern Halmahera and Maba in central Halmahera.

Tobelo's district head, Agil Bahmid, said residents living in the hinterland of north Halmahera had to get water from the river one-and-a-half kilometers from their houses because there were no other sources of water.

"At the very least, whenever there's rainfall, we boil it water for drinking and cooking because the contractor has yet to dig the wells, measuring between 10 to 15 meters deep," the 35- year-old Sugiman from Central Java said.

Several residents said they had received assistance from a PT Sumber Baja Ambon truck to get water from the river and rain.

Agil said the Ministry of Transmigration would build wells to meet the migrants' need for clean water.

Eighty families from central Java have been placed in Togoliau along with 40 local family heads from Tobelo and surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, PT Sumber Baja has not completed school buildings, places of worship and meeting halls. (01)