Indonesian Residents Protest Over Smelly Water And Severe Water Shortage Caused By Construction Of Data Centre

Batam, Indonesia: Angry Indonesian residents staged spontaneous protests outside Indonesia's Nongsa Digital Park in Batam, where a new cluster of data centres is under construction. The municipal water service has stopped working, so residents have no water at home.Sulastri, a shopkeeper and Batam resident, said that she had to pour water from a plastic bottle to wash dishes. She also said that the breaking point was when they were supplied with smelly, yellowish water the other day. At Sulastri's home, the water meter registers no flow and a dry tap. She washes cooking utensils and her hands with water from a bottle, using it sparingly.In Sambau, Nongsa district, residents are seen carrying water containers and large water jugs on motorcycles to bring clean water for their daily needs.   The residents demand that the water supply be restored to normal, as without water residents are struggling with their basic daily routines like cooking, bathing, and washing.