Polluters Get Away Free In Indonesia

Posted on Jan 09, 2011

The Indonesian Environmental Group WALHI has urged the Indonesian Government to be firmer and take stronger action against the polluters. The current environmental Law No 32 year 2009 is deemed sufficient however, it’s technical directive No.27/1999 regarding Environmental Impact Analysis Requirement needs to be revised to include heavier sanction against the offenders.

WALHI 2010 Report

In 2010 WALHI recorded 75 pollution cases perpetrated by private as well as state owned companies which damaged as much as 65 rivers and 5 coast lines. Out of those pollution cases, only 14 were ever brought to trial.

Palm oil companies are still the biggest polluter with 31 pollution cases which includes rivers silting, followed with coal mining with 19 cases and gold mining with 7 cases. These numbers does not include years of byproduct pollution causes by these activities impacting major rivers.

As a result of these pollutions, many of the river waters can no longer be used as drinking water and some are not even suitable for washing. According to the Head of WALHI Department Advocacy Mukri Friatna, this water is not suitable to be consumed because the level of BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand.), COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and pH exceeds the quality standard specified in the Health Ministry decree. This could potentially wipe out fish and other aquatic micro-organisms living downstream on the said rivers due to lack oxygen.

The lack of action against the polluters is really disappointing says Mukri. For example the pollution cases in Cikantor Lampung. Since the case was reported back in August, until today, there were no responses from the Government or its law enforcement agencies on the ground that the labs result is not finished. This is very unprofessional since the lab test doesn’t take that long and it is very easy to see which company that did the pollution along the river banks.

“The Government inaction could prove detrimental to the people surrounding the polluted area” said Mukri.