Waste pollutes residents' wells

JAKARTA (JP): Residents of the Krankit neighborhood of the Rawa Buaya subdistrict in West Jakarta are complaining that industrial waste is being dumped in their area by a silk-screen printing factory.

They claim that the pollution is so heavy that water in their area is no longer potable. The factory began dumping its waste into the nearby river two years ago.

The residents tried to refer the problem to the city council over the weekend but no councilor was available to meet their delegation because the legislators were attending a meeting.

Basri Hasan, a representative of about 64 families, told reporters that the polluted water had seeped into their wells. The water crisis has been going on for the past two years, he said.

"We think the factory is illegal because it has no name," Basri said. "The pollution has forced us to buy clean water for daily consumption."

The pollution has squeezed hard the budgets of the residents, who are mostly daily contract workers, according to Basri.

The residents questioned why, if the factory is licensed, the city administration allows such a company to operate without having waste water treatment. (yns)