Walhi Desak Police Headquarters Unloads Case Of Malili River Pollution By PT CLM

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Forum for the South Sulawesi (WALHI Sulsel) urged the National Police Headquarters to investigate the pollution of the Malili River in East Luwu Regency (Lutim) which is strongly suspected to be due to mining waste belonging to PT. Citra Lampia Mandiri (CLM) which is now controlled by Zainal Abidin Siregar. This is because the South Sulawesi Regional Police and the East Luwu Police have failed to enforce the law in this case.

Not only that, WALHI encourages related people in the company to be investigated.

"We urge the National Police Headquarters, the Environment Agency (DLH), to carry out an investigation to check the water quality, but the Regional Police have never carried out it. It has never been done by law enforcers and local governments," said WALHI South Sulawesi Director Muhammad Al Amin, Friday 5 May.

Al Amin admitted that he was surprised that law enforcement officials had not investigated the contamination of the Malili River in East Luwu. In fact, his party continues to encourage investigations by the authorities.

"Well, this is our big question. What is happening in the company PT Citra Lampia Mandiri is very protected by law enforcers, as well as local government agencies, in this case the local government in East Luwu. Because no environmental law enforcement has been given to PT Citra Lampia Mandiri, even though pollution in the river has occurred many times," said Al Amin.

"One of the shareholders is H Syamsuddin, and that (Zainal Abidin) Siregar is the current director," he said.

PT CLM is a nickel mining company located in Pongkerbu Village, Malili District, East Luwu Regency. Al Amin emphasized that the condition of the water flowing in the Malili River was brown due to CLM mining activities.

"The river turned brown because it was exposed, contaminated with mud from the former mine. The CLM mining activity then entered the Pongkeru River and flowed to the Malili River. So, but we don't know yet what type of heavy metal content or elements enter the Lampia River. What we know is that the color has just changed, from clear to brown, it's definitely mud that comes in," he said.

According to him, the only way to save the survival of fishermen and animal ecosystems in the Malili River is to stop mining activities carried out by PT CLM.

"But once again I want to convey to the public that there is only one way out so that the Malili River is not polluted, stop PT. Citra Lampia Mandiri nickel mining activities," he said.

The pollution in the Malili River caused people in Wewang Riu Village to not be able to catch fish. Reportedly the water mixed with mud made the fish stay away from the river.

"Because the mud entered the river and polluted the Malili river, the fish moved away into the middle of the sea," he added.

Currently, WALHI is waiting for a water content check device imported from abroad. This was done to see the severity of the pollution of the Malili River.

"But we don't know what the water content is, whether it's exposed to heavy metal or just exposed to mud, now that's what we want to know. Because if it is exposed to heavy metals, it is a serious violation," he said.