Dead Fish Floating, KLH Investigates Alleged Pollution of Cisadane River Following a Fire in a Pesticide Warehouse

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Environment (KLH) / Environmental Control Agency (BPLH) sent a team to the location to investigate the alleged pollution of the Cisadane River due to a fire in a pesticide warehouse in the Taman Tekno area, Setu District, South Tangerang City, Monday, February 9.

Deputy Head of the Environmental Pollution and Damage Control (PPKL) KLH/BPLH Rasio Ridho Sani said a team from the PPKL's Kedeputian together with Pusarpedal had been deployed to the field to conduct an in-depth investigation.

"Yes, the KLH/BPLH team from the Department of Pollution and Environmental Damage Control and Pusarpedal is in the field," Rasio said when confirmed in Jakarta, Antara, Wednesday, February 11.

When asked about the results of the interim study, Rasio said the team was still conducting a search so they could not deliver a conclusion.

"Still on the field," he said briefly.

Previously, the incident of a pesticide warehouse fire in the Tekno Park was suspected of having a serious impact on the surrounding environment. The flow of the river around the location was reported to have changed conditions, marked by a change in water color, a pungent smell, and fish floating in a dead state.

The South Tangerang City Environment Service (DLH) said the alleged pollution of the river came from a warehouse storing pesticide chemicals that were on fire.

Head of the Environmental Control, Pollution and Supervision Section of the South Tangerang DLH, Hadiman, said that the results of the field search showed that there was a source of pollution in the form of chemical liquids.

"Yes, from the chemical liquid at the location of the pesticide warehouse fire," said Hadiman.

He explained that the chemical liquid came from a pesticide storage warehouse that was on fire. During the extinguishing process, the water used by the firefighters is suspected of carrying the chemical to the riverbanks around the location.

As a result of the incident, the river's flow changed color and emitted a pungent odor. A number of fish in the stream were also found dead floating due to exposure to pesticide liquid from the location of the warehouse fire.