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esidents in Panjunan subdistrict, Lemahwungkuk district, Cirebon, West Java, have called on the government to stop coal loading and unloading activities at Cirebon Port, citing concerns over the negative impact of the long-standing activities to their health.

Head of the subdistrict'€™s People Empowerment Institution (LPM) Nurghozin said many local residents had complained about the activities, which have been running for the past 15 years, as they resulted in the spreading of coal dust to nearby areas.

'€œPeople need fresh air. We don'€™t need any CSR (corporate social responsibility) program. All we want is to be healthy,'€ Nurghozin said in front of a residents'€™ forum on Sunday.

Located only 300 meters away from Cirebon Port, Panjunan is the closest subdistrict to the port, where the round-the-clock coal loading and unloading takes place every day.

Upon arriving at the port, the coal is transported to a stockpile site on the Cirebon-Tegal highway before being sent to buyers in the Bandung Metropolitan industrial area.

Local residents, according to Nurghozin, started their campaign against the loading and unloading beginning 2014. They have met just once with Cirebon Mayor Nasrudin Azis and local councilors to share their concerns.

Nasrudin later sent a letter to the central government recommending that the central government close down the loading and unloading activities at the Cirebon Port.

Cirebon Legislative Council (DPRD) member Didi Sunardi said the letter had been directed to different departments.

'€œThe ministry asked [the municipal administration] to convey the letter to the State Enterprises Ministry and the Transportation Ministry instead,'€ he said.

Forty-five-year-old Paulista, a school teacher with the local Santo Dominikus Foundation, said that the dust from the coal had disturbed operations at her school, which currently has a student body of 2,000 pupils.

'€œThe floors in our classrooms easily get dirty due to the dust. Three years ago, we installed air conditioners in each classroom to help ease disturbances due to the dust,'€ she said.

Panjunan is home to 20 schools, where more than 4,000 students are currently enrolled.

The principal of SMP Muhammadiyah junior high school, Achmad N., said that the dust and coal burning smell had also discouraged many of his students, teachers and staff.

'€œMany of them regularly suffer from sore throats, breathing difficulties, coughs, flu and acute respiratory infections (ISPA),'€ Achmad said.

Data from Cirebon Health Agency, meanwhile, reported the local community health center (Puskesmas) in Lemahwungkuk had treated an average of 4,000 ISPA patients every year between 2009 and 2014. The figure made up around one fifth of total annual visits to the Puskesmas.