Coal mine diverts Sumatran river without a permit, leaving villagers short of clean water

JAMBI, Indonesia — Sitting on a plank balanced over what remains of the Sungumai River, Halimah dug out handfuls of sand from the riverbed, trying to create enough depth to scoop up a dipper full of water. People living here in Rangkiling Bakti village, part of Jambi province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, have for decades relied on this tributary of the Tembesi River for bathing and washing clothes. “Back then, the water was clear. Now it’s murky like this,” the 48-year-old woman told Mongabay-Indonesia in February, as she scrubbed laundry in the shallow stream. Village women like Halimah, in blue, now struggle to wash clothes in the shallow, murky stream. Photo by Yitno Suprapto/ Mongabay-Indonesia. Two hundred meters away from where she sat is a mining site operated by PT Seluma Prima Coal (SPC). Since the company arrived on the scene in 2015, the lives of villagers like Halimah have been significantly affected. The Jakarta-based company is currently achieving nearly 90 percent of its production target of 50,000 metric tons (55,115 U.S. tons) of coal per month. Over 130 trucks are used to transport the coal every day. The company has altered the course of the river and built roads in the area, depriving local homes and farms of fresh water while reportedly increasing instances of landslides and flooding. Rankiling Bakti village secretary Prismar recounted that prior to the company’s arrival, the Sungumai River was four meters (13 feet) wide. Then the company redirected the stream, creating an…

from Conservation news https://ift.tt/2jnqYSw
via IFTTT