POLLUTION OF KAHAYAN RIVER (NEW)

POLUSI DI SUNGAI KAHAYAN

Sungai Kahayan adalah sungai yang terletak di Kalimantan Tengah. Luasnya mencapai 81.648 kilometer kuadrat, dengan panjang 600 kilometer, kedalaman 7 meter dan lebar 500 meter. Sungai ini menjadi sumber kehidupan bagi masyarakat Kalimantan Tengah untuk memenuhi kebutuhan hidup sehari-hari seperti mandi, memasak, air minum, mencuci dan berbagai keperluan lainnya.
Namun kini airnya sudah tercemar oleh Mercury. Mercury adalah bahan yang sangat berbahaya bagi tubuh manusia, hewan dan tumbuhan. Pencemaran itu diakibatkan oleh pertambangan tanpa ijin yang terjadi di sepanjang Sungai Kahayan. Selain itu, sungai juga dicemari oleh sedimentasi tanah, limbah rumah tangga, limbah pertanian, maupun limbah industri.
Pencemaran air Sungai Kahayan oleh mercury terjadi akibat penambang emas tanpa ijin. Karena hampir 6000 unit mesin penambang emas dioperasikan di sepanjang sungai Kahayan. Setiap tahun diperkirakan bahwa Mercury yang dibuang ke sungai mencapai 10-24 ton. Kadar merkuri pada air permukaan sungai tersebut mencapai 0,005 mg/L (tahun 2002), sedangkan ambang batasnya 0,001 mg/L. Demikian juga kadar merkuri pada tubuh ikan yang hidup di sungai kahayan sebesar 0,676 mg/L diatas nilai ambang batas 0,4 mg/L. Sedangkan kadar merkuri didasar sungai mencapai 0,789 mg/L jg melebihi nilai ambang batas yaitu 0,005 mg/L. Selain itu, juga terjadi pencemaran air sungai dari limbah rumah tangga (organik dan non organik). Hal tersebut akibat dari pengelolaan instalasi limbah rumah tangganya masih belum layak. Tingkat sedimentasi tanah yang tinggi disebabkan karena erosi tanah. Erosi tanah terjadi akibat penebangan liar di daerah aliran sungai Kahayan.
Pencemaran air di sungai Kahayan berdampak sangat luas. Dampak tersebut terjadi terhadap makhluk hidup di air, estetika lingkungan maupun terhadap kesehatan masyarakat. Konsentrasi mercuri dalam tubuh ikan sangat tinggi sehingga bila dikonsumsi manusia dapat menimbulkan berbagai jenis penyakit. Jenis penyakit yang ditimbulkan, seperti pertumbuhan terhambat, flek hitam pada kulit, kanker kulit, rusaknya sistem syaraf termasuk syaraf otak, gangguan ginjal dan hati bahkan menyebakan kematian. Pencemaran air sungai oleh mercuri juga menyebabkan tingkat kekeruhan air yang tinggi. Warna keruh pada air sungai mengurangi nilai keindahan dan kebersihan sungai. Demikian pula jika limbah rumah tangga dibuang ke sungai menyebabkan bau yang menyengat dan tumpukan sampah di beberapa lokasi. Penebangan liar dan pertambangan tanpa ijin mengakibatkan kondisi debit air sungai menjadi fluktuatif antara musim penghujan dan kemarau. Penurunan cadangan air serta tingginya laju sedimentasi dan erosi menyebabkan banjir di musim penghujan dan kekeringan di musim kemarau. Tingkat sedimentasi yang tinggi dan erosi yang tinggi juga menyebabkan pendangkalan sungai sehingga mengganggu lalu lintas sungai.
Penanggulangan pencemaran air di Sungai Kahayan dapat dilakukan dengan dua cara yaitu secara non teknis maupun teknis. Penanggulangan secara non teknis yaitu suatu usaha untuk mengurangi pencemaran lingkungan dengan cara menciptakan peraturan perundangan yang dapat merencanakan, mengatur dan mengawasi segala macam kegiatan pertambangan, industri maupun teknologi sehingga tidak terjadi pencemaran. Peraturan perundangan tersebut meliputi AMDAL, pengaturan dan pengawasan kegiatan dan menanamkan perilaku disiplin. Kegiatan penyuluhan juga dapat dilakukan untuk menambah pengetahuan bagi para pelaku pertambangan, industri maupun kegiatan lainnya di sungai Kahayan. Sedangkan penanggulangan secara teknis bersumber pada perlakuan industri, pertambangan atau kegiatan yang berhubungan dengan pengeloaan limbahnya. Pengelolaan limbah dilakukan dengan mengubah proses, mengurangi penggunaan zat kimia, menambah alat bantu seperti Instalasi Pengolahan Air Bersih, Instalasi Pengelolaan Air limbah. Kita pun dapat memulai penanggulangannya dari diri sendiri dengan mengurangi produksi sampah (minimize) yang kita hasilkan setiap hari, mendaur ulang (recycle) dan mendaur pakai (reuse) sampah tersebut. Sehingga pencemaran di sungai Kahayan akan berkurang dan kualitas masyarakat akan lebih ditingkatkan dengan mendapatkan sumber air yang aman, bersih dan sehat.

TERJEMAHAN BAHASA INGGRIS
POLLUTION OF KAHAYAN RIVER


Kahayan is a river located in Central Kalimantan. The wide reach 81,648 square kilometers, with a length of 600 kilometers, the depth of 7 meters and width of 500 meters. This river is a source of life for the people of Central Kalimantan to meet the needs of daily living such as bathing, cooking, drinking, washing and various other purposes.
But now the water has been polluted by Mercury. Mercury is harmful substances to the human body, animals and plants. Pollution caused by illegal mining mining in the Kahayan watershed . In addition, rivers are also polluted by soil sedimentation, household waste, agricultural waste, and industrial waste.
The water pollution caused by illegal minning is high levels of mercury in river water. Because nearly 6000 units of gold miners operated along the Kahayan river. Every year,it is estimated that Mercury is discharged into the river to reach 10-24 tonnes. Levels of mercury in surface water of the river has reached 0,005 mg / L (2002), while the threshold 0.001 mg / L. Similarly, levels of mercury contained in fish body in Kahayan river of 0.676 mg / L above the threshold value of 0.4 mg / L. While levels of mercury in riverbed reaches 0.789 mg / L also exceeds the threshold value of 0,005 mg / L. In addition, water pollution from household waste (organic and non organic). That is a result of the installation management of household waste is still not feasible. High level of soil sedimentation caused by soil erosion. Soil erosion caused by illegal logging in the forest around Kahayan watershed.
The water pollution in Kahayan river very broad impact. These impacts occur to all living things in water, environmental aesthetics as well as on public health both. The concentration of mercury in fish are so high that when consumed by humans can cause various types of diseases. Types of diseases caused, ie stunted growth, black spots on the skin, skin cancer, damage to the nervous system including brain nerve, kidney and liver disorders and even cause death. The concentration of mercury in fish are so high that when consumed by humans can cause various types of diseases. Types of diseases caused, such as stunted growth, black spots on the skin, skin cancer, damage to the nervous system including brain nerve, kidney and liver disorders and even cause death. The water pollution by mercury also causes high levels of water turbidity. Turbid river water color on reducing the value of beauty and cleanliness of rivers. Similarly, if household waste discharged into rivers causing smell and midden in some locations. Illegal logging and mining without a license resulted in the discharge of river water to fluctuate between the rainy and dry seasons. The decrease of water reserves and the high rate of sedimentation and erosion caused flooding in the rainy season and drought in the dry season. high sedimentation rates and high erosion also causes siltation of the river that disrupts river traffic.
Prevention of water pollution in Kahayan river can be done in two ways, namely by non-technical and technical. Reduction in non-technical is an attempt to reduce environmental pollution by creating legislation that can plan, organize and supervise all mining activities, industries and technology so that no contamination occurred. These include AMDAL, regulation and supervision of activities and instill discipline behavior. Extension activities can also be done to increase knowledge for the perpetrators of the mining, industrial and other activities on the river Kahayan. Whereas prevention is technically based on the treatment of industrial, mining or related activities in waste management. Waste management is done by changing the process, reduce the use of chemicals, adding tools such as Water Treatment Plant, Installation of Waste Water Management. We can start from ourselves overcome by reducing waste production (minimize) that we generate each day, recycle and reuse of the waste. So the pollution in the river Kahayan will be reduced and quality people will be enhanced by obtaining a safe water source, clean and healthy.