Traditional Sand Miners in Indonesia

Brantas river basin has a length of 320 kilometers and became the longest river in East Java, Indonesia. Brantas river to save millions of cubic tons of sand at the bottom of the river that used by the owners of the sand mine. Sand mining is taking traditional sand, namely by taking directly into the river with the aid of a container of sand or tomblo. Tomblo, a tool used to carry loads of sand from the riverbed to the mainland made of sheet zinc which has little holes about 5mm in diameter and has two handles on either side. In order not to hurt, the bottom edge of the foam tomblo given.
Brantas river to save the hope for some people. One of the traditional sand miners who employ people. Dredging of sand in the bottom of the river is done by diving straight into the river. Capture area of sand have varying depths, depending on whether or not the hard sand at the bottom of the river reach. If the depth range of 2 meters from the water surface, the workers walk away from the mouth of the river to reach it. However, if the availability of sand began to decrease, the bamboo bridges are built with a range of IDR. 500.000 by the skipper to get to the middle area of the river has reached a depth of 6 meters.
With a payload of up to 50 pounds of sand in each tomblo assumed they worked from morning to evening. Sand trucks waiting at the riverside are ready to deliver to prospective buyers. Loads of sand in the truck is sold by the skipper for IDR. 120.000, - to prospective buyers. Each worker received wages ranging from IDR. 80.000, - per day.
Karyono (39), the man from the village Betro, sub Kemelagi, Mojokerto district, just five months working as a miner sand. Men who have been blessed with 3 children is said that first he was unemployed. The number of workers coming from the area around his residence, bringing it to leave his beloved family home to go to a mine in Kediri. Every three days, he returned to his native area to visit family for the sake of eliminating the sense of longing for his wife and children. He could not if it should go to his house every day, not because of their fatigue to be paid when arriving at home, but transport costs should he spend it better tubes. He had to tighten our belts for the mining site is located in order to bring more of rupiah.
If the reduced availability of sand and hard to reach, let him and other fellow miners will go looking for a new sand mining locations. Brantas River provides a breath of life for the miners sand. Karyono just one of many sand miners. He expects health care for he and other colleagues. The struggle against the crowded depths of water and sand that he bear the weight is not worth the salary he received. At least once a week, sand skipper willing to give a traditional herbal health drinks for he and other colleagues. He also expects no further attention such as medical aid or other assistance. He added, if it does not work anymore to be a sand miner, he did not know what he was doing. There is no demarcation of expertise to his work than as a sand miner. But the strong intention to fight for the lives of his wife and children, making it strong and tough to bear the burden of the atrocities.