Sawmill causes eye pain to residents

Sawmill causes eye pain to residents

BOGOR (JP): Dozens of residents of Kampung Sawah village in
Cilendek subdistrict have been suffering pain in their eyes which
they say is caused by airborne wood shavings from a local
sawmill.

"The flying wood shavings and dust comes from the sawn wood
(from the factory) causes itching in our eyes, then swelling like
it's done to my eyes," Sri Sumarsih, 35, a resident, said,
showing her swollen eyes.

Mohammad Syafawi, a noted local figure, said the people are
also annoyed with the location of the mill, in the middle of the
residents' housing.

"For 15 years, the people here have been disturbed with the
pollution and the noise coming from the sawmill," he said.

Moreover, he added, at least five trucks carrying logs roam
the neighborhood back and forth from the wood producing firm, PT
Primasari.

"When the logs are unloaded onto the ground, houses located
near the sawmill are usually jolted," Syafawi said.

The Jakarta Post also saw a mass of wooden waste and wood
shavings floating along the Cidepit River in the neighborhood,
clogging the flow of the river.

Syafawi said the company never asked permission from the
residents to run the business in their neighborhood.

No Primasari executives could be reached for comment. (21/asa)