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Siak River in Riau 'sick', says environmental NGO
The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has claimed that the 400-kilometer Siak River dividing the resource-rich province of Riau is in a condition of deterioration
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he Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) has claimed that the 400-kilometer Siak River dividing the resource-rich province of Riau is in a condition of deterioration.
'The river's quality has deteriorated drastically,' executive director of Riau Walhi Riko Kurniawan said in Pekanbaru on Wednesday.
He said that both locals and industries had contributed to the damage and the pollution in the river, which snakes through five regencies in the province.
'Like a human being in a hospital, Siak River is in a sick condition,' he said as quoted by Antara news agency.
The damage found in the river was caused by the intensive development of housing areas on the banks of the river and the conversion of nearby forest into palm oil plantation, he said, adding that this degraded condition had a good deal to do with the absence of regulation and spatial zoning in the five regencies. The absence of oversight allowed capital owners to convert the land into palm oil plantation.
Riko said that the disposal of waste water from industries and households had polluted the river and furthermore that river pollution had prevented local fishermen from being able to fish in the river.
Riau has two national parks, Tesso Nilo and Bukit Tigapuluh, and the province is home to tens of mining companies and thousands of industries and palm oil and rubber plantations. (rms)(++++)
