ID Nugroho, Surabaya – Environmental and law enforcement activists called on the government Tuesday to put an end to industrial pollution in rivers running through Surabaya, the capital of East Java, saying rising toxin levels were endangering residents in the area.
Speaking at a public discussion in Surabaya on water management and control, the activists expressed concern the local government had failed to take action against companies responsible for dumping toxic waste into Brantas River.
Prigi Arisandi of the NGO Ecoton said since its creation in 1998, authorities had neglected the Clean River Program, allowing industries to continue dumping harmful waste into rivers.
"All polluting companies located upstream of the city should have been relocated, required to manage their waste or had their own waste managed by a government-backed agency in order to protect residents from various potential diseases," he said.
He said a coalition of local NGOs had identified some 120 companies that dump toxins directly into Brantas River, which is used to irrigate hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland on the city outskirts, and is siphoned by a local tap water company to supply city residents.
He said of 40 pollution cases brought to court in 2007, only 10 went to trial, resulting in fines of between Rp 5 million and Rp 8 million.
Prigi said residents were exposed to mercury-triggered diseases through their tap water because processing was only able to remove about 50 percent of toxins.
Athoillah of the Surabaya Legal Aid Institute said local authorities had the power to take extraordinary measures to curb river pollution.
He said local residents had a right to clean water and could in theory file a lawsuit against the government over the issue.
"The government has the authority to enforce environmental laws, but in reality it has issued only a common call for industries not to pollute the environment," he said.
East Java councilor Hidayat Maseaji said authorities were unable to enforce environmental laws, including a 2008 bylaw on water quality management and pollution control.
"The key problem is the government does not enforce the law and rules are negotiated by law enforcers and authorities during pollution cases," he said.
He said Governor Imam Utomo, who leaves office in June, had paid little attention to river pollution during his two terms in power.
Hidayat said an independent team should examine and assess river toxin levels in the province to encourage the next governor to make the problem a higher priority.