More Than 100 Million Have No Access To Clean Water

PADANG (WEST SUMATRA), April 24 (Bernama) -- More than 100 million Indonesian people do not have access to clean water with 70 percent of them consuming contaminated water, Antara news agency reported Monday, quoting an environmentalist as saying.

Environmental pollution caused lack of clean water supplies making many people to suffer from various diseases, the public outreach and communication specialist of the West Sumatra Environmental Service Program (ESP) Syafrizaldi said.

According to him, the environmental management in a number of areas in the country had not yet supported clean water supplies and consequently, the available drinking water failed to meet health requirements.

On the other hand, the people who live in poverty due to economic pressure did not have much choise but consuming unclean water, making them vulnerable to contaminated-water-borne diseases, he said.

Almost 75 percent of diseases such as skin disease and diarrhea in developing countries were caused by contaminated water, he said.

Inadequate clean water supplies were caused by poor facilities.

On the other hand, the supply of tap water was still far from ideal and that support from all sides was still badly needed, he said.

"We need support from all sides to ensure adequate clean water supplies in the public by conserving the environment," he said.