Industrial Waste Allegedly Contaminates Wells in Mojokerto

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Residents of Lakardowo Village, Mojokerto District, East Java, are currently worried about the hygiene of their groundwater. “When we bathe using water (from the well) we, especially the children, feel itchy,” says Siti Munaroh, a resident of Kedungpalang Village, on Wednesday, November 23, 2016.

They presume that their wells have been contaminated by dangerous and poisonous substances (B3). “We’re forced to purchase water in gallons for drinking and cooking.” They usually use water from their wells for personal hygiene, consumption, and cooking. 

According to Siti, her son Rehan (5), once experienced itchy on all over his body. “Children feel it the most, grown-ups could tolerate it better.”

Siti is one of the many residents that live in Kedungpalang Village that is located only 100-200 meters from PT PRIA factory. PRIA is a company that accommodates and utilizes B3 wastes from a number of industries in East Java.

The residents assume that their wells are contaminated by thousands of tons of B3 leachate waste that are buried under PT PRIA’s land since 2010. Both solid and liquid B3 wastes are placed in a 20 meters hole in order to level the ground that will be the foundation of a factory infrastructure. A couple of years following the practice, local residents felt a change in the water quality from their wells which has allegedly been contaminated by the waste.

“There are already 342 residents suffering (skin) irritation and itches; they’re mostly children,” said the Head of Women Care For Lakardowo Group, Sutama.

Directorate General of Pollution Control and Environmental Degradation, from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (LHK) has tested a water sample from PT PRIA's monitoring wells and local resident's wells. The results found that there are metal substance and hazardous chemical substances that exceeded the regional government regulation on water quality and contaminated water management.

The ministry concluded that the water contamination is not related to activities conducted by PT PRIA. The ministry instead blamed it on local residents, saying that it is caused by their bad environmental and livestock sanitation. Local residents refused to be blamed for the contamination problem, “the residents has long fostered livestock and has never experienced itches like this,” Sutama said.

PT PRIA spokesperson, who is also the company’s Business Development Manager, Christine Dwi Arini denies the accusations. 

ISHOMUDDIN