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Industrial waste contaminates Bekasi River
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Workers clean up garbage from the Ciliwung River in Jakarta on July 25, 2017. (Antara/Aprilio Akbar)
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esidents living near the Bekasi River in Bekasi, West Java, have been alarmed by a change in the river’s color from greenish-brown to blue, which they suspect is a result of contamination by industrial waste.
“When I passed Kemang Pratama Bridge in South Bekasi at 11 a.m. the river was dark blue. Usually it is greenish-brown,” said resident Daryono,44, as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.
Daryono added that fish in the river had jumped out and many were floating on the surface dead. He informed his friends who liked fishing in the river.
Another resident M. Bahri, 30, said he collected three buckets of fish in only 30 minutes, including catfish, tawes and gabus.
Separately, Bekasi Environmental Agency head Jumhana Luthfi said he had deployed a monitoring team to detect the alleged pollution.
According to Jumhana, it is not the first time the Bekasi has been polluted by industrial waste. In March 2016, the river was contaminated by foam waste from Bantargebang, Bekasi. (wnd)
