basin nestling in eucalyptus woods. [ VO ] It’s where the famous Citarum, 00:00:27:00 00:00:32:0 Indonesia’s principal waterway, starts its journey.
[ Andri ] The Citarum is now basically a giant septic tank 00:00:47:00 00:00:50:00 [ VO ] It runs 300 kilometers from source to mouth and there are
over 2000 industrial facilities ranged along its banks.
[ Rice field owner ] Now you see how one factory can destroy thousands of hectares of land 00:01:06:00 00:01:08:00 [ VO ] 280 tons of toxic waste is dumped in the river every day.
[ Activist ] The water's turned black
because the factory's liquid waste isn't filtered 00:01:21:00 00:01:25:00 [ VO ] The Citarum irrigates over 4000 rice fields and supplies drinking 00:01:25:00 00:01:27:00 water to 25 million people.
[ Andri ] We only have one river,
and it's the dirtiest in the world
[ MEN ] Catch it
[ MEN ] There, on the top
[ MEN ] Try to get it again
[ Alo Garbage Collector ] My name's Alo
[ Alo ] I'm 32 years old
[ Alo ] When I was in the 5th grade, I used to play and swim in the Citarum
[ Alo ] The water was clear and swarming with fish, gabus and lele
[ Alo ] That was up until 1991,
when the river turned black
[ Alo ] I never finished elementary school because I didn't have any money at that time
[ Alo ] I've been fishing for trash in the Citarum since I was a kid
[ Alo ] This is how I earn my living 00:02:54:00 00:02:58:00 [ VO ] Java is one of the world’s most densely populated and impoverished 00:02:58:00 00:03:02:00 islands. [ VO ] In the 1980’s, cheap labor attracted manufacturers from 00:03:03:00 00:03:06:00 all over the world. [ VO ] The banks of the Citarum River became 00:03:06:00 00:03:10:00 a popular place for building factories. [ VO ] The government has allowed 00:03:10:00 00:03:14:00 factories to dump liquid waste into the Citarum and its tributaries 00:03:14:00 00:03:18:00 for decades, so long as the waster doesn’t contain some 4 dozen 00:03:18:00 00:03:20:00 banned industrial chemicals.
[ Andri Gumilar Ecologist ] The textile, pharmaceutical, and food industries…
they're all dumping waste into the Citarum
[ Andri ] When we visit a factory, sometimes the water is clean and clear,
but local residents sometimes complain that it turns blue or red at night
[ Andri ] During the day, they may treat their waste,
but at night or during heavy rain,
they cut corners and dump untreated waste in the river
[ GEO ] BANDUNG, RANCAEKEK DISTRICT
[ Uban Sebani Rice Field Owner ] Long before the factories appeared...
[ Uban Sebani Rice Field Owner ] The fields in this area were much better before the factories began to appear,
and now the land is gradually dying
[ Uban Sebani ] In 2009, liquid waste began seeping into this area
[ Uban Sebani ] As a result, the earth has turned as white as salt
[ Uban Sebani ] The land can't be used to grow rice now, the shoots keep dying and have to be thrown out
[ Uban Sebani ] The rice fields have been contaminated
[ Uban Sebani ] As you can see, it's hollow
[ Uban Sebani ] It's empty
[ Uban Sebani ] There's nothing inside
[ Uban Sebani ] Many here are unemployed. I have to feed my kids every day, they're still at school
[ Uban Sebani ] I have to work this land, no matter how little it brings
[ Uban Sebani ] This is my regular job, I don't know what would happen if I didn't do it
[ Uban Sebani ] If I apply, the factories won't hire me because I'm too old
[ Uban Sebani ] So I'm here, digging up the blackened soil,
trying to set up a fish pond that could become my source of livelihood
[ VO ] The textile industry is the island’s major source of employment. 00:05:41:00 00:05:44:00 [ VO ] It contributes billions of US dollars to the country’s economy, 00:05:46:00 00:05:50:00 along with horrendous amounts of lead, chromium, zinc, and polonium 00:05:50:00 00:05:53:00 that are being dumped into the island’s main source of drinking
water. [ VO ] Since 2000 the Indonesian government has been investing 00:05:58:00 00:06:02:00 trillions of rupees into programs aimed at cleaning up the river.
[ VO ] So far, none of them has yielded any tangible results.
[ Adi Mulyadi Environmental Activist ] My name's Adi, I'm a research manager
for an NGO that addresses problems connected with water pollution
[ Adi Mulyadi ] When I was a child, I could enjoy the beauty of the Citarum River
[ Adi Mulyadi ] Though I was born in the '80s,
nature was still pristine here back then
[ Adi Mulyadi ] We've been conducting research since 2003
ADI MULYADI ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST
[ Adi Mulyadi ] Our findings show that the Citarum water basin
is being polluted by activity within the textile industry
BANDUNG, MAJALAYA DISTRICT
[ Adi Mulyadi ] There are many hidden drainpipes like this one, we call them ghost drains
[ Adi Mulyadi ] We believe they are illegal
[ Adi Mulyadi ] They're unlicensed and hidden underwater, or...
underground
[ Adi Mulyadi ] That way, the locals won't notice
[ Adi Mulyadi ] We nearly missed this one ourselves, the only sign is the colour:
a dark, black colour. [ Adi Mulyadi ] Then the water flows into irrigation canals for agricultural land,
and eventually gets into the local drinking water and even reaches the Citarum
[ Adi Mulyadi ] This water is no good for agricultural use
[ Adi Mulyadi ] Rice growth is falling and peasants are being affected because
they work in fields with contaminated water every day
[ Suleiman Farmworker ] I work the land, I've been ploughing this field for two weeks now
[ Suleiman ] The moment I step off the field, I start itching
[ Suleiman ] I'm not sure when my daughter's skin irritation started,
but it began with a small spot that started itching
[ Suleiman ] I took my child to the health clinic
[ Suleiman ] - What did the doctor say? [ Suleiman ] - Eczema
[ Suleiman ] It's because of the many germs from the rice, that are caused by waste from the factories
[ Andri ] The most widespread and typical kinds of pollution
are heavy metals, organic waste, and E.Coli bacteria
[ Andri ] These three issues have a direct impact on people
E.Coli bacteria can cause stomach pain,
heavy metals harm the skin, giving people eczema, which can develop into skin ulcers
[ Suleiman ] This is my well
[ Suleiman ] This is water from the Citarum
[ Suleiman ] Let's pour some in
[ Suleiman ] Let's start by putting it together: we'll open the faucet…
wrap this around,
and now we wait until it gets clearer
[ Andri ] Many people depend on the Citarum for their water needs
[ Andri ] That's why they use it regardless of how polluted it is, they have no choice
[ Andri ] The people who live along the river usually belong to the lower classes,
and clean water is a luxury they can't afford
[ Andri ] They keep using this water for their daily needs whether they like it or not
[ Adi ] We've sued several companies,
including PT Kahatex,
which is located right behind us
[ Adi ] Why did we choose to sue Kahatex over it's legal standing?
[ Adi ] Because, out of more than 5,000 factories along the Citarum,
Kahatex is the biggest
[ Adi ] We've been investigating for three years
[ Adi ] Based on our research,
this factory hugely contributes to polluting the Citarum
[ VO ] Concentration of lead in the factory’s liquid waste was 3 times
higher than the accepted level, while polonium and chlorine were
6 and 7 times higher respectively. [ VO ] Due to low levels of oxygen
in the water, the river could no longer sustain life. [ VO ] Groundwater 00:11:41:00 00:11:45:00 pollution spread 100 meters wide and was 60 meters deep. 00:11:42:00 00:11:45:00 POLLUTION RADIUS 100M POLLUTION DEPTH 60M
[ Adi ] In fact, they're capable of treating their waste water
[ Adi ] They can afford to buy and install water treatment facilities,
but they prefer to play dirty...
as dirty as the waste they're dumping
[ Adi ] They want to make maximum profit
and don't care about how much waste they produce or the harm it does to the environment
[ Andri ] Treating one litre of waste costs around 1 US dollar
[ Andri ] That means 1 cubic meter would cost $1,000
[ Andri ] Obviously, treating waste drives costs up,
and this is something factories try to avoid,
so they take shortcuts and dump waste water directly into the river
[ Adi ] We sued them in court in 2015
and in 2018, we won the case
[ Adi ] They were ordered to restore the environment and treat their waste as much as possible,
in accordance with the applicable codes and laws
[ Adi ] We've repeatedly tried to obtain Kahatex's permission
to see how their cleaning system works,
but, sadly, we've never received it
[ VO ] PT Kahatex’s management agreed to show us its waste treatment
facilities, but just before our appointment they changed their
minds and denied us access.
[ Adi ] We were told there was an agreement
that if the factory continued to dump untreated waste
it would be shut down for good,
but we've never seen any legal consequences of any kind
[ VO ] Shutting down even a small factory leaves thousands of people
unemployed. [ VO ] Unable to close businesses violating the environmental 00:14:11:00 00:14:15:00 code, the Bandung environmental agency can only try and block 00:14:15:00 00:14:18:00 their illegal waste discharge points.
[ Life ] Pak Edi, where's that sack?
[ Life ] Give me one
[ ROBI DEWANTARA SECTION HEAD OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, BANDUNG ENVIRONMENT OFFICE ]
[ Robi Dewantara ] About 12 spots have already been closed up upstream
[ Robi Dewantara ] This is the 13th we're cementing
[ Robi Dewantara ] There are two discharge points, this one, and one more
[ Robi Dewantara ] We've closed this one
[ Robi Dewantara ] The factories knew what they'd done and closed it
[ Life ] - Will you cut it off first? [ Life ] - First, we'll clog it with bags,
then we'll cement it up on Friday
[ Life ] Lift it up here
[ Life ] We'll add some more
[ Adi ] Based on the information I've received,
some cemented-up discharge pipes have been reopened, perhaps, by mutual consent
[ Adi ] It's become a great problem in our government
[ Adi ] The agencies that oversee the environment and compliance with environmental codes
have ulterior motives
[ Adi ] This vicious circle has existed for many, many years 00:15:44:00 00:15:46:00 [ VO ] We commissioned an independent lab to collect and test water 00:15:47:00 00:15:50:00 samples in the vicinity of the factory, whose illegal discharge 00:15:50:00 00:15:53:00 point had been shut down by the environmental agency.
[ 2 men ] You have to hold it like this due to the current
[ 2 men ] If it was a lake, you'd hold it vertically
[ EDI SUDANI MANAGER, UPT ECOLOGICAL LABORATORY, BANDUNG CITY ] The source of the pollution can be determined from the test results
[ Edi Sudani ] Whether it shows high concentrations of organic waste or inorganic waste,
or if it exceeds biological limits...
based on that, we can determine if it's household or industrial waste
EDI SUDANI MANAGER, UPT ECOLOGICAL LABORATORY, BANDUNG CITY
[ Edi Sudani ] There are several factories in this region, but analysis of this sample shows
that household waste accounts for a good deal of the pollution,
apart from industrial
[ Andri Gumilar Ecologist ] If we concentrate solely on industry, while ignoring household waste,
the Citarum's water quality will stay the same
Faeces, urine – that's all sewage waste
[ Andri Gumilar Ecologist ] A lot of people dump their garbage and sewage straight into the Citarum River
because they can't afford
to install waste water treatment equipment
[ Adi ] Apart from its opaque, black colour, the river is plagued by a huge amount of plastic garbage
that is produced by the residents of Bandung
[ Adi ] Why does this happen?
[ Adi ] Because the government, to this date, has been unable to offer
any viable garbage recycling technology
[ Adi ] No wonder city people dump plastic trash on the river banks
and throw it into other streams that run into the Citarum
[ Adi ] During the rainy season,
even if garbage hasn't been thrown straight into the river,
but been left at the curb,
that garbage will bring waste water right into the Citarum
[ Alo ] I've been collecting garbage from the Citarum for 21 years now
[ Alo ] From 7 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon, every day
[ Alo ] My children go to school, they want...
[ Alo ] My daughter wants to be a nurse,
while my son wants to follow in my footsteps fishing and collecting garbage
[ Alo ] At weekends, I help my dad collect garbage
[ Alo ] Bottles,
glass,
tins,
sandals,
aluminium
[ Alo ] They're expensive
[ vo ] - What do you want to be when you grow up? [ Alo ] - A pilot
[ Alo ] I'll be able to travel and enjoy beautiful views
[ Alo ] I watch the planes
[ Alo ] When I grow up, I'll go to Jakarta
- Where else? That's all? [ Alo ] - Yes
[ VO ] What places have you heard of, apart from Bandung and Jakarta in Indonesia?
[ Alo ] None
[ vo ] What do you dream of finding in the river?
[ Alo ] I'd love to find some shoes in the trash
[ Alo ] There isn't much garbage during the dry season
[ Alo ] There's a lot more during the rainy season
I collect it until I have enough and then sell it somewhere
[ Life ] Here Alo
[ Life ] Have a look
[ Life ] That's 29
[ Life ] - That's OK [ Life ] - Alright
[ Life ] Your pay...
[ Life ] - There you are [ Life ] - Thanks
[ Alo ] $7.25 total for two days collecting garbage from the Citarum River
[ Alo ] Rice, cured fish, tempeh, tofu...
oil, and that's it 00:21:41:00 00:21:46:00 [ VO ] Each year up to 2 million tons of plastic waste end up 00:21:46:00 00:21:51:00 in the world’s oceans. [ VO ] And it’s Asia’s rivers that contribute two 00:21:51:00 00:21:53:00 thirds of the plastic in them.
[ Adi ] This landfill site belongs to the government of the West Java province
[ Adi ] This plastic waste is mostly food packaging from cities
that was thrown into the Citarum
[ Adi ] Sanitation services fish it out of the river
and bring it here for the local community to sort
[ Adi ] Industries purchase the waste for later use in fabric manufacturing
[ Adi ] Then the fabric is dyed and the resulting waste water is dumped into the Citarum
[ Adi ] This is how waste from the entire production cycle eventually ends up in the Citarum River,
from its headwaters to its mouth
[ vo ] Yet another government river-cleanup campaign was launched 00:22:57:00 00:23:03:00 in February 2018. [ vo ] Indonesia’s government aims to make 00:23:04:00 00:23:10:00 the Citarum’s water potable within the 7 years. [ vo ] We collected our 00:23:10:00 00:23:14:00 water samples 6 months after the start of the cleanup efforts. 00:23:19:00 00:23:24:00 [ vo ] But several months later the results have still not been released.
[ LIFE HIDDEN CAMERA ] Good morning sir, I tried to call you
[ LIFE HIDDEN CAMERA ] - I need the lab test results from 5 months ago [ LIFE HIDDEN CAMERA ] - You have them?
[ LIFE HIDDEN CAMERA ] The results haven't been released yet… I'd hoped to come just once
[ LIFE HIDDEN CAMERA ] I'm still waiting to hear from the director, I've tried to call but...
[ LIFE HIDDEN CAMERA ] - The lab results are ready [ LIFE HIDDEN CAMERA ] - So why won't you give them to me?
[ LIFE HIDDEN CAMERA ] We don't have permission from above
[ LIFE HIDDEN CAMERA ] We just follow the rules
[ LIFE HIDDEN CAMERA ] Has there been an order not to release them?
[ LIFE HIDDEN CAMERA ] To be honest, this isn't the first time something like this has happened
[ Andri ] The Citarum is now a giant septic tank,
the biggest in the world
[ Andri ] But the government can't just ignore this blotch on its image and reputation
[ Andri ] It's not something we're proud of
[ Andri ] It makes us look like a joke
[ Andri ] We only have one river, and it's the world's dirtiest