But for now at least, every day along the Citarum people are still being poisoned by the dioxins and hydrocarbons in the air from coal-fired textile factories and by the water of a river that was once considered a paradise.
What is the world’s dirtiest river in the world?
The Citarum river in West Java is considered the dirtiest river in the world. Textile factories discharge tons of untreated toxic waste into the river every day.
Why is the Citarum River so dirty?
The river is heavily polluted by human activity; about five million people live in its basin. Textile factories in Bandung and Cimahi were major toxic waste contributors. More than 2,000 industries contaminate 5,020 sq miles of the river with lead, mercury, arsenic, and other toxins.
What is the Citarum River known for?
As Indonesia’s most strategic river, the Citarum is the source of water for the Jatiluhur Reservoir, which is Indonesia’s largest reservoir at 3 billion cubic meters of storage capacity. The reservoir not only supplies clean water for Bandung but also provides 80 percent of the water supply for the capital.
Is the Citarum river clean now?
Water quality across most of the river has been deemed unsafe for human use, with the Asian Development Bank finding levels of faecal bacteria more than 5000 times the mandatory limits, and lead levels far exceeding the US Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standard.
Who is responsible for cleaning the Citarum river?
Since the beginning of this year Indonesian President Joko Widodo (widely known as Jokowi) has been on a mission to clean up one of the world’s most polluted rivers, the Citarum in West Java.
What is the most polluted country in the world?
Bangladesh had an average PM2. 5 concentration of 76.9 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3) in 2021, making it the most polluted country in the world.
Is Citarum River freshwater or saltwater?
The Citarum river provides freshwater for most of West Java Province and also supplies 80 percent of Jakarta (1). However, the river is recognized as one of the dirtiest in the world (2) Overuse and increasing industrial pollution over the last twenty years has severely damaged the river.
What is the most polluted river in the world 2020?
The Salween is considered the most polluted river on the planet, so much so that some fishing communities have abandoned their former trade to sell on the glass and plastic they collect from the river.
How many people drink from the Citarum River?
The Citarum River flows for about 186 miles from the mountains of southern Java to the Java Sea, providing irrigation and drinking water for more than 25 million people, including residents of Jakarta.
How does the Citarum River affect humans?
The contaminated river has devastating effects on the nearby environment. About 60% of the residents living near the river have persistent skin infections. If left untreated, the skin infection could turn into skin cancer. Consuming high levels of mercury, lead, and chromium are fatal for humans and the marine life.
What animals live in the Citarum River?
Before, Citarum has many fish species such as walking catfish, suckermouth catfish, common carp, minnows, and many more. However, the polluted water caused the growth of wild water plants, mudskipper fish, and plankton.
Why is Indonesia so polluted?
Aside from vehicles, coal, and industrial plants, biomass burning is a source of intense seasonal air pollution for much of the region. On the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, forest and peatland fires, often set illegally to clear land for agricultural plantations, create annual haze events.
What is the dirtiest river in the US?
What is the dirtiest river in the USA?
The most polluted river is River Rouge which flows into the Detroit River, as it contains around 200 pollutants such as zinc and lead. The Cuyahoga River has been said to catch fire 21 times since the early 1900s, most recently in 1969.
How much plastic is entering the Citarum river each day?
The shocking scenes are a result of the estimated 2,000 tonnes of plastic that flow through the Citarum river, in West Java, every day.