Resort In Central Sumba Allegedly Coastal Privatization, Walhi NTT Asks Regency Governments To Move

Illustration of a beach tourist attraction. (Pixabay)

NTT - The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Environmental Committee (Walhi) has asked the Central Sumba Regency Government to take action against resort management located at Lima Bidadari Beach or Aili Beach for allegedly violating the coastal border.

"The government must enforce the rules," said Walhi NTT Executive Director Umbu Wulang Tanaamhu Paranggi in a release received in Kupang, quoted from Antara, Friday, September 16.

This was conveyed by Umbu Wulang regarding the alleged violation of the rules by the resort because it built a building and pushed it to the beach and carried out coastal privatization.

"The resort is suspected of violating the coastal border because it is right on the lips of Lima Bidadari Beach. The distance from the resort building is even less than 100 meters from the shoreline," he said.

Umbu Wulang revealed that his institution's findings were more than 90 percent of tourism investments in the coastal area of NTT that hit coastal border regulations. Some of these locations include in Labuan Bajo, Sumba, and Kupang City.

National Coastal and Marine Campaign Manager Walhi Parid Ridwanuddin said beach privatization and border violations by tourism actors in Sumba were thought to have been going on for a long time.

In fact, he continued, Presidential Regulation 51/2016 concerning Coastal Sempadan Limits explained that the determination of the 100-meter coastal border boundary aims to protect and preserve the ecosystem function of coastal areas and small islands, people's lives from natural disaster threats; allocation of space for public access through the coast; and allocation of space for waterways and waste.

Meanwhile, the Central Sumba Regency Government denied any practice of beach privatization and border violations by hotels in its area.

"In Central Sumba there is none," said Assistant II for Economics and Development of the Regional Secretariat of Central Sumba Regency Johanis Umbu Tagela when confirmed from Kupang.

According to him, the Central Sumba Regency Government has emphasized to entrepreneurs or investors not to prohibit or close access for anyone who wants to visit every beach.

However, Johanis admitted about the guardrail in the resort construction area which was questioned by the community. However, he said, this is natural because it is land or belongs to the resort owner.

According to him, the fence does not limit access or prohibit residents from enjoying the Aili Beach area. There is access that has been provided in the west for anyone who wants to enjoy the beach area, go fishing, and other activities.

The location of the alley is not far from the resort gate, ranging from 100 meters. It is also located on the side of the highway.

"In the west, an alley has been provided, a lane of about two meters wide. Whenever you want to go to the beach, you can pass there. But if for example you want to enter the resort, look inside you can ask for permission from the security guard and welcome," said Johanis.

He also suspects that there are certain elements who do not want the resort to be built in Central Sumba. In fact, the existence of the resort is a positive thing for economic improvement in the district.