West Sumatra Provincial Government: Mining Operations On Cold Water Road Stopped

Head of the West Sumatra ESDM Service, Herry Martinus. (ANTARA/HO-Biro Adpim West Sumatra)

PADANG - The Provincial Government (Pemprov) of West Sumatra (West Sumatra) confirmed that three companies that own a Mining Business License (IUP) on national roads in Cold Water, Solok Regency, are no longer operating. "After the Governor of West Sumatra Mahyeldi together with the West Sumatra National Road Implementation Center (BPJN) reviewed the road damage in Cold Water in March 2024, three mines that have IUPs around the national road are no longer operating," said Head of the West Sumatra Mineral Energy Service (ESDM) Herry Martinus in Padang, Antara, Monday, April 22. In addition to mines that have IUPs, he continued, there are several illegal mines that are managed by the community at that point. The illegal mining was agreed to be followed up by the Solok Regency Government (Pemkab) with the support of the West Sumatra Provincial Government. He said the agreement was obtained after the West Sumatra Provincial Government held a meeting on March 28, 2024, which was attended by the West Sumatra ESDM Service, West Sumatra Environment Agency (DLH), West Sumatra PMPTSP Service, West Sumatra BMCKTR Service, West Sumatra Regional Mining Inspector of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, West Sumatra National Road Implementation Center (BPJN), Solok Regency LH Service, and Solok Regency PUPR Service. " Along the national Air Cold road, there are three companies that have IUPs, namely PT Bukit Villa Putri, PT Sirtu Air Cold, and CV Putra YLM. We are coordinating with the Inspector of Mines of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to evaluate it, so that a recommendation for temporarily stopping the operations of the three companies is issued, because there is an obligation to manage the environment that is not carried out," said Herry. Of the three companies, continued Herry, two companies have environmental permits issued by the West Sumatra Provincial Government. Meanwhile, one company, namely PT Sirtu Air Cold, has an environmental permit issued by the Solok Regency Government. Meanwhile, for illegal mining, there are several points along the Air Cold road. "During the meeting with March 28, 2024, it was agreed that the Solok Regency Government would find a way out or that would stop illegal mining activities supported by the West Sumatra Provincial Government," he said. All these steps, said Herry, are a form of the seriousness of the local government (Pemda) together with the West Sumatra BPJN to improve the quality of national roads that have been damaged due to geological conditions and mining activities in Cold Water. "The geological condition, Cold Water is the Patan Semangka area of Sumatra. The soil moves about 2 to 3 centimeters per year. This makes the hills and pebbles there easily fall, plus the slopes are quite steep, so that community mining activities can be carried out simply, but the effect is that water and former mining materials can easily flow to the road," he said. Based on the meeting with related parties, he continued, BPJN West Sumatra believes that the results of the meeting and the proposed recommendations will soon lead to budgeting by the Ministry of PUPR to improve the quality of the national road on the Cold Water Line.

Previously, on March 25, 2024, the Governor of West Sumatra together with his staff and BPJN West Sumatra came to Cold Water and found several illegal or illegal mining activities. At that time, the Governor immediately closed the mining activities carried out by the community.