via Eco-Business, 25 November 2020: Coal dust affecting local villagers and the Muaro Jambi temple complex.
To reduce the impact of coal dust, coal piles should not exceed 7 meters in height, but some piles in the Muara Jambi village on the Indonesian island of Sumatra exceed 10 meters. The local government says it is monitoring the situation.
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In addition to health concerns, residents are worried about the impact the coal dust may be having on the Muaro Jambi temple compound. This Hindu-Buddhist complex, which stretches through several villages along the banks of the Batanghari River, is believed to have been built between the 7th and 14th centuries C.E. The site contains at least 82 ruins, including eight temples that have been excavated.
Abdul Havis, the head of the Indonesian Tour Guide Association’s Jambi chapter, has opposed the presence of the coal stockpiles in Muara Jambi village for years. He says they threaten the temple complex, which was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009.
“The coal dust turns the temple stones black,” he says.
