SIOW AN QIN 2E3

Water pollution in Citarum River, Indonesia 

Citarum River in West Java is one of the ten most polluted rivers in the world in 2013. More than 500 thousand people are directly affected by the pollution at Citarum River. Meanwhile, more than 5 million people are indirectly affected because of the chemical pollutant thrown to the river and carried away by the stream. The river contains a level of lead, aluminum, manganese and iron that, on several occasions, are higher than the average level. The source of pollution was originated from the industrial and domestic activities around the river.Citarum River is listed along with the most polluted and toxic locations in the world, including Chernobyl, a city in Ukraine currently contaminated with radiation that resulted from the explosion of a nuclear reactor in 1986.Citarum River pollution is caused by factories that dispose their waste to the river. The Citarum River has an important role in the life of the people of West Java, as it supports agriculture, water supply, fishery, industry, sewerage, electricity, etc. Pollution has affected agriculture so much that farmers have sold their rice paddies for half their normal price. The river is heavily polluted by human activity; about five million people live in its basin. Textile factories in Bandung and Cimahi were major toxic waste contributors. More than 2,000 industries contaminate 5,020 sq miles of the river with lead, mercury, arsenic and other toxins.On December 5, 2008, the Asian Development Bank approved a $500 million loan for cleaning up the river, calling it the world's dirtiest. 90 percent of the factories lack efficient water waste treatment systems. They discharge at least 1,320 liters or 280 tons of waste everyday in the river.