Villagers protest coal transportation in East Kalimantan

The people of three villages in Tanah Grogot sub district, Pasir regency, East Kalimantan, strongly protested the transportation of coal via their villages, the local Kaltim Post daily reported on Monday.

The paper quoted a villager as saying that the coal transportation had created air pollution in the form of coal dust, and the trucks carrying the coal had caused damage to the local roads.

The paper said that the local Pasir regency administration had given the license for the coal trucks to pass through the Tepian Batang, Jone, and Pondong villages to transport coal to the local Pondong port because the coal company has not yet developed a special road for the coal transportation. The paper did not name the company.

The protesting villager, who asked for anonymity, warned that the angry villagers could burn the coal trucks if the local government did not immediately stop the coal transportation.(*)