Oil Waste Pollutes Beaches in Bintan; Tourist Sites Temporarily Off-limits

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Several sea tourist destinations in Bintan Regency of Riau Islands were polluted by oil waste, including ones in Madu Tiga Beach and Resort areas.

The resort management official Amran said the waste started to contaminate the waters on Friday night, Nov. 27. Thus he was forced to temporarily close the beach area using a rope and sending notices to tourists to not play on the beach.

“The area has been closed since Saturday morning (Nov. 28). But it is reopened in the afternoon after it is cleaned by our team,” said Amran on Sunday, Nov. 29.

Almost every year, black oil waste polluted the coastal area of Bintan, especially during the north wind season. The waste allegedly did not originate from Indonesian waters, but the sea borders of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

“We are worried that the waste will send away visitors as they cannot play on the beach,” said Amran.

Ahmad, who is a fisherman from Berakit, hoped that the government would take anticipatory measures to prevent black oil waste pollution in the coastal areas of Bintan.

“This must not be like in the past years when the government seems to have no solution to tackle this waste, which is very detrimental for us (fishermen) every year,” Ahmad underlined.

Also Read: Bintan Island Prone to Water Crisis Annualy, Says Ecology Expert

ANTARA