Gunung Kuda Mining Accident, Walhi Accuses Of Weak Government Supervision

The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) of West Java expressed its concern over the tragedy of the mine landslide on Mount Kuda, Cirebon Regency, which claimed dozens of lives.

Walhi assessed that this incident was proof of the weak governance of government mining and supervision in the West Java region.

West Java's Walhi Executive Director Wahyudin Iwang said the incident did not stand alone and reflected systemic failure in mining management.

"The Horse Monument is not the only incident that claimed lives. This shows that mining practices in West Java are still far from professional and ignore safety aspects," said Iwang when contacted in Bandung, Antara, Sunday, June 1.

According to him, many mining business actors treat licensing documents only as a formality to obtain legality, not as operational guidelines that must be obeyed.

"In fact, licensing documents should include AMDAL, RKL, and RPL which must be carried out and reported regularly. But there are many inconsistent practices between documents and reality in the field," he said.

Iwang also assessed that government supervision was minimal, and often even just reacted after an accident or loss of life.

"Is the government really checking the suitability of documents with field practices? Is the semester report really being monitored? What happened was confused after there were victims," he said.

Regarding the mine on Mount Kuda, Iwang confirmed that the location had a permit, but he emphasized that legality is not an operational guarantee according to the rules.

"For example, in the document it is called the A tool, eight hours of work. But in the field use B equipment and operate 24 hours non-stop. Who is monitoring this? The government should be," he said.

Furthermore, Walhi West Java also highlighted the increase in illegal mining activities in the southern region of West Java, such as in Garut, Sukabumi, Cianjur, and Pangandaran, after the issuance of new regulations from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources regarding Mining Areas and WPR (People's Mining Areas).

Iwang reminded that the spatial area of Mount Kuda is indeed included in the sand and stone zone (sirtu), but ecologically it also functions as an infiltration area and a storage of water reserves for the community.

If it continues to be exploited, the ecological function of this area will be damaged. We have long recommended that the mine on Mount Kuda be stopped and a reforestation is carried out," he said.

He emphasized that the responsibility for the loss of life was not only in the hands of mining companies, but also the government as a permit provider and parties who were negligent in supervision.

"Our regulations are actually quite good. There are TJSL, reporting obligations, and sanctions for violators. But everything is only on paper. Law enforcement is not working," he said.

Therefore, Walhi West Java encourages comprehensive reform of mining governance, including evaluation of permits that have been issued, increasing government control capacity, and community involvement in environmental surveillance.