The dirtiest river in the world has become cleaner (photo)
From her one way or another depend 28 million people.
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River Citarum plays a very important role in the lives of people from West Java in Indonesia. Its basin is home to about five million people. This is the main water artery of the region, however, Citarum for a long time remained the most polluted river on the planet.
Textile factories in the cities of Bandung and Cimahi served as the main polluters of the river discharge into Citarum toxic waste. Overall, more than 2,000 enterprises polluted with lead, mercury, arsenic and other toxins.
Lead levels in the river were 1,000 times higher than the permissible concentration for drinking water. Citarum killed about 60 percent of fish species and cause serious harm to the health of people living on its banks.
Citarum used to support agriculture, water, industry. The river has three hydroelectric plants, and water dams irrigate the rice fields. Pollution so much struck on agriculture, farmers were forced to sell their land for half of their value.
Every day on the river floated a huge waste streams. People in search of work, he went with him, sitting in a boat. They were looking for waste that can be recycle.
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In late 2008, the Asian development Bank allocated $ 500 million loan for cleaning the river. Two years ago, the country launched a program of cleansing the waterway, it will last until 2020.
Now the river was cleared “externally”, but the chemical composition of water is still far from satisfactory. The authorities will need at least several years and considerable investment to Citarum again became a safe river.
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