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View all search resultsBack to school, Tangerang students welcomed by dust
Construction of the Cengkareng-Batu Ceper-Kunciran toll road, which has been ongoing for a few months, is affecting a nearby school.
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Dust is scattered inside classroom VIII H of SMP 21 state junior high school in Benda district, Tangerang, Banten on Monday. The classroom cannot be used for the day because it will need to be cleaned. (JP/Robert Yota)
T
he first day of new school year has always been an exciting time, including for students at SMP 21 state junior high school in Benda district, Tangerang, Banten, even though they were welcomed back with red dust and debris from a nearby national toll-road project that has been ongoing for a few months.
Just outside the school entrance there were mounds of dirt about 3 meters high used for the construction of the Cengkareng-Batu Ceper-Kunciran [CBK] toll road that is to go to the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
During The Jakarta Post’s visit to the school, dust was blown by the wind into the school grounds, creating a semi-suffocating environment for students and teachers.
Dust was scattered inside classrooms, restrooms and the futsal field in the middle of the school.
“School activities proceeded as originally planned. A number of students complained of eye irritation and sneezing but most of them were energetic and enthusiastic to be back here,” acting principal Sarnoto said on Monday.
Sarnoto demonstrated the level of dust in the air by holding out his cell phone. Minutes later, dust was sticking to the screen.
He said that the teachers and security guards sprayed water on the dust inside the classrooms in the morning before classes started. In addition, construction workers of PT Wijaya Karya Tbk (WIKA), the developer in charge of the project, sprayed water on the dirt mounds to reduce the dust.
