West Kalimantan Governor: Only Jokowi Can Stop Illegal Gold Mining

West Kalimantan Governor Sutarmidji (left)/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

KAPUAS HULU - West Kalimantan Governor Sutarmidji said that illegal gold mining activities (PETI) in West Kalimantan are already using excavators. This condition can only be stopped on the orders of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

"The president can make an order, if the president asks to stop it, tomorrow the PETI will stop, but if it's difficult for me, because PETI already uses excavators, so if the president orders fast," said Sutarmidji, while accompanying the working visit of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. (KLHK), in Sintang, West Kalimantan, quoted by Antara, Thursday, November 25.

Sutarmidji also hopes that there will be no more natural damage, especially now that 70 percent of the Kapuas River Basin has been damaged.

In addition, Sutarmidji also highlighted the licensing of oil palm plantations. According to him, there are already 2.7 million hectares of oil palm plantation concessions, only one million hectares have been planted and the remaining 1.7 million hectares have not been planted and have been going on for a long time.

"There is no forest anymore, it must be evaluated, if it needs to be withdrawn by the state and reforested, it could be that the area is peatland that cannot be planted," said Sutarmidji.

He also claimed to support the efforts to restore the environment as stated by the president.

"I am very supportive, up to 1,000 percent I support what the president said to improve the environment, the area we are repairing the Kapuas watershed is 70 percent already damaged, how do we fix it," said Sutarmidji.

Meanwhile, the Secretary General (Sekjen) of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Bambang Hendroyono, said that the main thing is to strengthen the synergy between the central and local governments in viewing the ecosystem landscape.

"We see that in the future, environmental and economic recovery efforts will become important for the government to implement in climate control, so if we already know the cause, the government will make an action plan for restoration to the protection function," said Bambang.

According to him, the Kapuas watershed and sub-watershed must be a priority, which must be managed again according to the principles of norms like a watershed that can only be protected, there should be no obstacles from top to bottom flow.

"So that environmental restoration efforts here require the work of stakeholders," said Bambang.

Bambang said the Ministry of LHK would coordinate with related parties such as the Ministry of PUPR, relevant governors and regents, starting from Kapuas Hulu, Sintang, Melawi, Sekadau, Sanggau and Kubu Raya Pontianak in one watershed stream which must be seen together what the causes are.

"The most important thing is to restore watersheds and sub-watersheds which have been like that from the start and restore their conditions, so that environmental restoration and development with environmental insight are based on principles according to local wisdom," Bambang explained.

In addition, said Bambang, in environmental restoration while replanting trees.

"So if he protects the top, then plant trees that can strengthen the roots, the roots are strengthened so that landslides do not occur," he said.

Responding to permits for the conversion of forest functions and illegal mining, Bambang said that what he saw was how the business provided by the government had regulations since the law on environmental protection and management, which has been known so far, is an environmental permit.

"We are stricter because from a strategic environmental study that must be owned by governors and regents, they can determine the spatial planning," he said.

Bambang explained that the business provided by the business with an analysis of environmental impacts is a condition for any business, agriculture, plantation, fishery, mining and forestry which are indeed related to the natural landscape, which must be carried out, which is called environmental approval.

"There is a need for supervision of environmental approvals attached to business licenses, when the government is firm in supervising the implementation of permits, which are indeed indications of environmental damage, that is actually what their obligations (business actors) to the environment are," explained Bambang.

So that what was emphasized in the evaluation, Bambang emphasized, was whether his obligations had been carried out, if so, of course, supervision resulted in a law enforcement process starting with written warnings, government coercion of administrative fines, summons to suspension of permits and revocation of permits.

"The government is as big as a clear work copyright law, the process that has been built starting from environmental documents leading to environmental approval, issuing business permits then monitoring business permits and environmental obligations, law enforcement processes and in the end our hope is that there will be no more damage to forests, the environment and the environment," he said. pollution," said Bambang.