KLHK Seals Land In Burnt Area In West Kalimantan

KLHK officers sealed the burning land in the concession area of the company in the West Kalimantan region. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) has sealed land in the concession area that caught fire in the West Kalimantan Province in an effort to enforce law on environmental protection and management.

Director General of Environmental and Forestry Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Rasio Ridho Sani, said that the sealing was carried out in the concession area of four companies.

According to him, the sealing was carried out on an area of 1,151 hectares in the concession area of PT MTI Unit 1 Jelai, an area of 267 hectares in the PT CG concession area, an area of 168.2 hectares in the PT SUM concession area, and an area of 121.24 hectares in the concession area of PT FWL.

In addition to sealing land, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry has installed a sign prohibiting activities and lines for environmental surveillance officials, conducted an investigation into one company, and recommended local governments to impose coercion administrative sanctions on one company in handling land fires cases in these concession areas.

Rasio said that forest and land fires in addition to causing land damage and reduced biodiversity can also cause public health problems.

Therefore, the government is trying to minimize the risk of forest and land fires (karhutla).

In an effort to overcome forest and land fires, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry together with the Police and the Attorney General's Office have formed a Forest and Forestry Integrated Law Enforcement Task Force.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry also coordinates with local governments to streamline the prevention of forest and land fires, including in enforcing environmental law.

Administrative sanctions, revocation of permits, demands for compensation for environmental restoration, and criminal charges can be imposed on companies whose concessions are burned.

"Customers whose locations of fires occur can be subject to administrative sanctions including freezing and revocation of permits and being sued by civil law related to environmental compensation, as well as enforcement of criminal law," said Rasio.