DLH: Do not Consume Pekapuran River Water

Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan 20/12 (AntaranewsKalsel) - Head of the Banjarmasin Environment Agency (DLH) Mukhyar asked the community not to consume water from Pekapuran River, now it looks solid black and allegedly contains many Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria.

"Even for the use of bathing, washing, and latrines (MCK) alone I suggest do not use the water of Pekapuran River, because it looks contaminated with the blackened views," said Mukhyar while in the city council on Wednesday.

According to him, not only the Pekapuran River, many other rivers in residential areas are no longer healthy for use, due to heavy turbidity and allegedly very polluted by E.coli bacteria.

"We have been testing water quality in a number of rivers, including the Pekapuran River, regularly. They are already contaminated by a highly E.coli," he explained.

Mukhyar hopes people to be more careful in using the river water for daily necessities, because if carelessly will endanger health, among them diarrhea caused by consuming water containing E.coli bacteria.

"The contamination of our rivers is not separated from household wastewater disposal directly into the river, plus there are still many people throw the garbage not in place, but instead to the river," he explained.

According to him, Banjarmasin City, which has about 102 active rivers, almost no one is free from the building of citizens covering its parts, resulting in household waste flowing into the river, causing in heavy pollution.

"Not to mention the waste of defecation, because there are still many latrines or place of defecation in the river at this time in our area, this is what we continue to strive to be eliminated," said Mukhyar.