Sumur Batu residents suffer of polluted water

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Dozens of residents living in a village next to the Bekasi municipality's Sumur Batu dump complained on Saturday of heavily polluted river water and groundwater in the area, which they said had killed plants and crops and put their livelihoods at risk.

A local farmer, Sanusi, who lives along the Ciketing river, which flows through the dump, said he had to plant rice three times within the last two months.

"The seeds rotted soon after we watered them with water from the river. The river is the only source of irrigation water that we have," he told The Jakarta Post.

He added that even when the seeds did grow into mature plants, the harvest was always small and of low quality.

Another farmer, Djaja, said he was considering selling the 5,000-square-meter rice field he had inherited and which has now virtually barren.

"The pollution has got worse over the years. The rice crop is no longer dependable. Our only hope is that the river will not overflow during the planting season and kill the seeds, or later the plants," he said, adding that he was now relying on his motorcycle repair shop for survival.

He added that officials from the Bekasi municipality had frequently promised compensation for the losses suffered by local farmer and growers, but had so far failed to come good on its promises.

The frequent crop failures have added to the problems faced by the residents of Sumur Batu village, who already consume water contaminated with bacteria, potentially deadly poisons and heavy metals.

Last Thursday, non-governmental organization The Environment Community Union (ECU) revealed its analyses of water samples taken from the wells of the residents, which showed that the water contained coliform bacteria, cyanide, chloride, cadmium, chrome, zinc and mercury, are of which are believed to derive from the dump, which receives up to 2,000 tons of garbage per day.

The contaminated water was also reaching two local streams, the Ciketing creek and Bekasi river, and the Bekasi Canal.

According to another resident, Ani Sumarni, the residents used to use the water of the Ciketing river for washing, bathing and even drinking. But that was before the dump had been established.

"Now, the water is really turbid and there is no way for us to consume it," said the agricultural laborer, adding that she often suffered skin problems after working on rice fields located close to the dump.

Ani said that an interruption in water supplies from the Bekasi public water utility had left the residents with no alternative but to consume ground water over the last month.

"No adverse consequences have yet emerged, but we fear for our health as the quality of the ground water is so poor," Ani said, showing a bucket of muddy water that she had just fetched from a nearby well.

ECU coordinator Benny Tunggul had earlier warned the Bekasi municipal administration of the need to convert the dump into a waste processing center with pollution control equipment.