Babel Satpol PP Stops Forced Tin Ore Mining Due To Polluting Perumda Tirta's Baku Water Source

Kasatpol PP Bangka Regency, Tony Marza (Brown shirt) next to the police and a number of Satpol PP personnel stopped mining ilegak tin beans (ANTARA/Kasmono)

BANGKA - The Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP) of Bangka Regency, Bangka Belitung Islands Province, assisted by police personnel to forcibly stop tin seed mining activities without permission located near the raw water source of the Regional Company (Perumda) Tirta Bangka. "We were forced to stop tin seed mining activities without permission from a number of residents, because apart from not having official documents, mining activities have polluted Simpur Pemali's raw water source managed by Perumda Tirta Bangka," said Head of the Bangka Regency PP Satpol, Tony Marza in Sungailiat, quoted from 6, Tuesday, October 3. Strict action by forcibly stopping tin seed mining by an inconventional type community based on reports from the management of the regional company who complained that the raw water source to be channeled to customers was polluted. "As a result of the mining, the water quality decreased with the color of the water changing to chaos," he said. Mining tin seeds near the raw water source, not only threatens environmental damage and harms the company, but customers are also disadvantaged for not obtaining clean water rights. It was recorded that dozens of tin seed mining machines were forced to be stopped so that the impact of mining activities on raw water would not get worse. Meanwhile, the Head of the Technical Section of Perumda Tirta Bangka, Suhendra, admitted that the raw water contaminated with tin seed mining mud resulted in an increase in the amount of use of chemicals to clear water.

"To restore water quality so that it is suitable for distribution to customers, we have to increase the use of chemicals to cost up to three million," said Suhendra.