The Six-Legged Starfish
CITARUM RIVER
THE HISTORY OF THE CITARUM RIVER
The Citarum River is an important resource in the life of the people in West Java because it is used to support agriculture, fishery, sewerage, and electricity. It is also the people's water source. Not to mention it is the largest and longest river in West Java, Indonesia and the third longest river in Java, right behind the Bengawan Solo and Brantas rivers. The Citarum River Basin is home to around nine million people, also home to about 2,000 factories. Sadly, in 2013, the Green Cross of Switzerland and the International Nonprofit Blacksmith Institute named the Citarum River one of the "world’s 10 most polluted places."
MAIN CAUSES OF POLLUTION IN THE CITARUM RIVER:
Five million people live at the basin of the Citarum River in Indonesia. Due to this factor, the river is heavily polluted by human activity. Textile factories in Bandung and Cimahi are major toxic waste contributers to this pollution. More than 2000 industries contaminate over 5,020 square miles of the Citarum River with lead, mercury, arsenic, and other toxens.
CITARUM RIVER
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THE EFFECTS OF POLLUTION:
In Indonesia, the Citarum River in West Java has been named the fourth most polluted river in the world. Over the last 20 years, five million people migrated to the areas around the river, resulting in extreme pollution problems. Due to the massive pollution, intelligent, bright people have been too busy cleaning up the river instead of applying for jobs. Now that Indoneisa is running out of clean water, dehydration is becoming more common and is causing deaths. The government and the people now understand this problem and are frantickly trying fix the issue.