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Aceh govt told to rid rivers of mercury
An NGO has advised the Aceh administration to immediately address mercury contamination in the provinceâs rivers, with pollution allegedly originating from substantial illegal gold mining operations
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A
n NGO has advised the Aceh administration to immediatelyaddress mercury contamination in the province's rivers, with pollutionallegedly originating from substantial illegal gold mining operations.
'The government is also strongly encouraged to conduct thorough research regarding the water quality of the rivers that have long been a source for water for local residents,' Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) Indonesia Aceh project leader Dede Suhendra said on Friday as quoted by Antara news agency.
He said mercury was a serious threat and contamination would cause serious damage to the environment and its people. He said the Environment Management and Protection Law clearly stated that B3-grade - including mercury - water disposal into the environment was strictly prohibited.
Furthermore, the WWF had also asked the government to learn from the Minamata incident in Japan where mercury contamination had caused serious problems, with as many as 65,000 people suffering ill health effects as of 2012. (tjs/dic)
