2,500 People Unemployed For 7 Months Due To The Sanction Of Coal Dust Disguising Marunda, Laborers Taking Off The Closure Of PT KCN

Demonstration of workers (Photo: DOK Diah Ayu/VOI)

JAKARTA - A number of workers held a demonstration in front of the DKI Jakarta City Hall, Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan, Central Jakarta. They demanded that the Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono revoke the closure of PT Karya Citra Nusantara (KCN). Seven months ago, the DKI Provincial Government revoked the environmental permit of PT KCN because it was proven to have polluted coal dust in the Rusunawa Marunda area, North Jakarta, and did not complete the administrative sanctions given. Coordinator of port service users (penjaspel) Marunda, Munif said, as many as 2,500 workers have been unemployed since the closure of PT KCN. Meanwhile, other loading and unloading companies are still operating. "We ask PT KCN to operate again. Seven months of KCN there are no activities, but the surrounding ports can carry out activities," Munif said when met in front of DKI City Hall, Thursday, January 12. What surprised the workers was why the DKI Provincial Government only closed PT KCN over the problem of coal dust pollution in Marunda. Meanwhile, after PT KCN's permit was revoked, it turned out that coal ash was still polluting residential areas. "It turns out that the pollution still exists even though KCN is closed. The question is that we are making a living, why is only KCN being questioned. So, we ask (Heru) to re-evaluate the decision letter for the revocation of KCN," said Munif. Now, coal dust pollution in the Rusunawa Marunda area is an endless problem experienced by residents. So far, there is one company that has stopped its environmental licensing, namely PT Karya Citra Nusantara, which has not yet operated again. Then, based on the results of supervision, the DKI LH Office still found four companies that were still emitting coal smoke on the recoop in their loading and unloading activities. However, the Head of the DKI Jakarta LH Service, Asep Kuswanto, said that the emission levels in the four companies were still below the quality standard set by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK). "There are 4 companies that do use coal. We have checked the standard for the quality of the tadpole and it is still below the quality standard. We are still checking whether there are other companies that have potential. That's why now we have put SPKU in Marunda to measure air quality," said Asep. Meanwhile, regarding the contamination of coal dust, Asep admitted that companies whose operations using coal cannot be completely clean from air pollution. Even though the emission level is still below the quality standard, the smoke that comes out through thelaw can still fly and be carried towards the Marunda Flats. "The name is coal, whatever comes out of the recoop, even if it's a little. A little bit of ash flies, maybe it's what the wind ends up carrying and getting to the flats. So, it really happened like that," explained Asep.