Ijen Slope Areas Contaminated by Crater Water

[pfpcnews]

Ijen Slope Areas Contaminated by Crater Water

Tempo Interactive - June 23, 2011

Yogyakarta:Surono, the director of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation fears for the residents living around Ijen Crater in the Bondowoso-Banyuwangi border, who have been contaminated by water coming out of the crater. Surono estimated that residents below the age of 20 will have their teeth damaged by the fluoride in the water.

“Based on our research, children are already found to have porous teeth besides 20-year olds,” Surono told Tempo in Yogyakarta yesterday. This decalcification, according to the study conducted by the Volcanology Agency, is due to the contamination of the crater’s water, which can be found in the source of water consumed by the residents.

Worse, the water from the crater is being channeled to the farmers’land. The result is obvious: 70 percent of crop failures is clearly due to this contamination. At first, the sugar factory was accused of being the cause of the failed crops. “In fact, it was because of the contaminated crater water,” said Surono.

According to Surono, the study also revealed that besides being unsuitable for farming, the contanimated water is also unsuitable for animal and especially for human consumption. “Even cows do not want to drink this water,” he said.

Following the announcement of the research, Surono’s team gathered the local village chiefs and regents to convey their findings. Surono said that he had been informing residents on the dangers of Ijen since 2006 without any result.

BERNADA RURIT | EKO WIDIANTO


SOURCE:
http://www.tempointeractive.com/hg/nasi ... 05,uk.html