Video Documentary about : The toxic waste that enters Indonesia’s Citarum River, one of the world's most polluted


It’s been called the world’s most polluted river by the World Bank. Murky, dense and dirty-brown – the water that runs through Citarum River in Indonesia’s West Java is toxic.

Yet, the river supports around 28 million people who rely on it for daily activities such as cooking, bathing and laundry.

Spanning nearly 300km, it is the longest river in Indonesia’s most populous province. It also supplies the provincial capital of Bandung as well as the country’s capital Jakarta with piped water.

The water is used to sustain fish farms, irrigate 400,000 hectares of paddy fields and fill reservoirs that generate about two gigawatts of hydropower, making it one of Indonesia’s most strategic river basins.

But for the people who live along the polluted river, it is not just the environmental impact that worries them, health problems have affected children and families.


The riverside town of Majalaya is located about 170km from Jakarta, and less than 50km away from the source of Citarum River in the sub-district of Kertasari.

Called “dollar city” in its heyday, Majalaya was able to supply up to 40 per cent of Indonesia’s textile needs, making it a major centre for Indonesia’s textile industry.

And it is those textile factories which are among the worst polluters of the Citarum.

The Indonesian Forum for Environment (WALHI), a NGO, estimates that around 1,500 factories dump about 280 tonnes of toxic waste per day into Citarium River. It is not uncommon to see the water turn from murky brown to black, sometimes even red and blue from chemical colouring, before returning to brown again further downstream.


Interview :

West java with length 3,7 tmillion hectare have 7 strategic main water dam. One of them is Citarum dam. It’s contribute a lot to ecosystem and citizen socialized in West Java. But the citarum dam is worse than 6 others dam. A lot of fabric activity, drilling, development, function transfer of land and water polluted. All of its flown to Citarum river. Citarum river is located at national strategic and also has civilization memorial for people at West java.

River Citarum has 196 kilo meters length and with different width according water flow in every region the river. On the upstream has narrow range than downstream.
Citarum das has contribution in farmer field. And it flown to 400 thousands hectare farmer field around Citarum dam.

According data and fact around water flown at Citarum dam were found 2300 factory from the upstream in Bandung to downstream at Muara Gembong in Bekasi. Those factory produce liquid, gasses and solid waste. All it’s waste flown to streamlets and it rises to Citarum river.
According our data, mostly all factory don’t functioned there’s own wastewater treatment plant.

My name Muhammad Agus and living at Lagadar village at Sukamana district since 1984. As a eyeswitness, I seiing horrible natural change at Citarum river. Since 1990, water polluted in Citarum become worse. It’s waste flown from textile factory from Cimahi region. According a research Citarum river contaminated with high chemical and impact to living creatures on river. They all died after contaminated. The water waste contaminated with danger chemical and it can be seen on river color. They were various color on it. Brown, black, red and dark. And most of it contaminated with dust of coals. When dry season coming, smell of dust coal emerge on water’s surface. And it’s caused various disease by this contamination. Some disease are diarrhea and vomiting and also skins disease. People living near Citarum river were impacted there health.

In fact there’s variety mode to dispose water waste.
First, factory dispose wastewater at rainy season, it’s assume that factory in high production and they thrown wastewater as same as with volume of water river high. So wastewater look like unidentified and not contrasted than on dry season.
Second, wastewater thrown to river on 12 pm to dawn. When environmental officer missed to supervise.
But in fact wastewater dispose on the river every time from morning to at night. It’s followed by factory production 24 hours per day. So, wastewater will dispose every hours on the river.


Factory around my neighborhood dispose wastewater on 3 pm or 4 pm and it’s smelled badly from our house. Contaminated water made my daughter got asphyxiate and itchy skin on her body after she played around river. I delivered my daughter to clinics, and doctor said her itchy skin was contaminated by water. I assume the contaminated water it’s from our wells or from

People living around river consume water with variety ways. Some of them consume water from superficial wells that build around factory. So, it’s water contaminated with polluted material from wastewater.

Farmers not having choice to use water from Citarum to irrigated their field. Even the water contaminated with high iron-content.
People living at Cimahi region, recently have awareness to support clean water program in Citarum river and I hope will made Citarum river will be better again.


I can declare that farmers field around Citarum dam were contaminated with polluted water. From upstream to downstream of Citarum river.
Farmers field around Citarum dam were contaminated from factory’s waste water and domestic waste. And this contaminated water impacted to paddy production.


Last time, Wastewater Fight Coalition do some investigated what kinds of elements material on polluted water. It’s founded not only Chemical Oxygen Demand, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Trisodium Phospahate. But we found mercury, bronze, iron and zinc substance. All substance we get from ground sample and water sample around Citarum river and bring them to laboratory. And if all substance are contaminated on fish and also paddy we’re consumed in regularly will be impacted our health. For along period it will be raise cancer, neurological disorder and immunity disorder.