Ministry Of Environment Temporarily Stops Operational Batang Toru Hydropower Plant To Martabe Gold Mine

Minister of Environment (LH), Hanif Faisol Nurofiq. (Doc. Ministry of Environment)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Environment/Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH) has temporarily suspended the activities of companies operating in Batang Toru Watershed (DAS), North Sumatra for environmental audits, including palm oil companies, mining and power plants.

Previously, the Minister of Environment (LH), Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, visited a number of companies, including PT Agincourt Resources, PT Perkebunan Nusantara III (PTPN III), and PT North Sumatra Hydro Energy (NSHE) as developers of PLTA Batang Toru.

Hanif also requires these companies to conduct environmental audits as a step to control ecological pressure upstream of the watershed which has a vital function for the community.

"Starting December 6, 2025, all companies upstream of the Batang Toru watershed must stop operations and undergo environmental audits. We have summoned the three companies for official inspection on December 8, 2025 in Jakarta," said Hanif, quoted on Saturday, December 6.

This decision was made after he carried out air and land inspections upstream of Batang Toru and Garoga to verify the causes of the disaster and assess the contribution of business activities to the increasing risk of flooding and landslides, while ensuring compliance with environmental protection standards.

Hanif also emphasized the need for a thorough evaluation of all business activities in the area, especially with extreme rainfall which now reaches more than 300 mm per day.

"The restoration of the environment must be seen as a single unit of the landscape. We will calculate the damage, assess the legal aspect, and do not rule out the possibility of a criminal process if a violation is found that exacerbates disasters," explained Hanif.

KLH/BPLH is now tightening verification of environmental approval and spatial suitability for all activities on steep slopes, upstream watersheds, and river lanes. Law enforcement will be taken if violations are found that increase disaster risk.

Meanwhile, the Deputy for Environmental Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Environment and Environment (KLH)/BPLH, Rizal Irawan, added that the air monitoring results showed that there was a massive land clearing that increased pressure on the watershed.

From the overview of helicopters, it is clear that land clearing activities for hydropower, industrial plantation forests, mining, and oil palm plantations are seen. This pressure triggers a decline in wood material and erosion in large quantities. We will continue to expand surveillance to Batang Toru, Garoga, and other watersheds in North Sumatra," said Rizal Irawan.