Farmers accuses PTBA?s Bukit Kendi of causing river pollution

Farmers originating from Tanjung Agung district of Muaraenim regency, South Sumatra have accused coal producer PT Tambang Batubara Bukit Kendi (PTBBK), a subsidiary of state owned PT Batubara Bukit Asam (PTBA), of causing pollution to a river in their village, Palembang Post reported on Tuesday.

During a peaceful rally held during the celebration of the Farmers Day on Monday, the villagers urged the local government to take a strong measure against the company, which they said, had contributed to the decline in the clean water supply either for bathing or drinking.

"We hope that the problem can be settled amicably," said one of farmers during the rally, which was staged in front of the local government?s senior officials. The representatives of the farmers brought samples of polluted water during the rally.

According to the farmers? representatives PTBBK which opened its coal mining concession in the area in 1997 built a water treatment plant to process the company?s industrial waste. But the plant does not work as expected. "We are afraid that the water treatment plant did not meet the standard specifications," the farmers? representatives said. (*)