Discovering Life Amidst the Pollution: A Journey Through Indonesia’s Most Contaminated Village

In November, storms hit Batam, Indonesia, leaving devastation behind. Dewi Puspalani and her elderly mother-in-law, Mayuteh, hurried to save their belongings. They lifted their small refrigerator and a few appliances onto a table for safety.

Dewi’s husband tucked away the charcoal grill he used for their food stall. Meanwhile, the couple’s five children headed to higher ground to stay with relatives. Rain poured on their two-room home, with leaks soaking clothes that hung inside. Soon, floodwaters filled their house with dark, polluted water.

As the toxic tide surged, Puspalani and her family found themselves praying for relief. Sadly, this was not an isolated incident. For about 9,000 families in Tanjung Uma, a village on Batam’s northern coast, this scene has turned into a heartbreaking routine. Once known for its peaceful fishing community, Tanjung Uma is now at the center of Indonesia’s pollution crisis, struggling against uncontrolled development and neglect.

Mayuteh, who moved to the area in 1980, recalls a different time. “When I first moved here, there weren’t many people, and the sea was blue,” she told This Week in Asia. “Now it’s really dirty, and the storms just make it worse.”

Batam’s population has surged from just 47,000 in 1980 to over 1.2 million today, thanks to its booming oil and shipbuilding sectors. Unfortunately, this rapid growth has wreaked havoc on the environment, particularly in Tanjung Uma.

Amid the chaos, local businesses struggle to survive. Streets are often dotted with trash, and many small vendors must navigate the pollution just to serve their customers. Each storm not only brings flooding but also compounds the existing problems of waste and industrial runoff.

As Tanjung Uma faces these challenges, the residents remain resilient. They continue to search for solutions, hoping for a future where their community can thrive once again, free from the burdens of pollution and neglect.

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Indonesia, toxic tides, polluted, village, Tanjung Uma, environmental degradation, pollution crisis, Seven Clean Seas, Batam, Dewi Puspalani, industrial run-off, urban sprawl