DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Indonesian Villagers Protest Sand and Stone Mining, Threaten Lawsuit

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Residents of Sambeng village, Central Java, are protesting against PT Anaba Putra Nusantara's sand and stone mining operations.
  • They claim the company has been mining for two years without proper procedures, including community involvement or socialization.
  • Concerns include threats to land, riverbank erosion, disruption of local tourism, damage to roads, and reduced fish populations.

Residents of Sambeng village in Borobudur, Magelang Regency, Central Java, have lodged a formal protest against PT Anaba Putra Nusantara's ongoing sand and stone mining activities in the Progo River. The villagers, represented by the Paguyuban Gerakan Masyarakat Peduli Lingkungan dan Tanah Air (Gema Pelita), argue that the company's operations, which have been ongoing for approximately two years, have not followed the correct procedures.

What we question today to (the Department of) ESDM and DLHK is this.

— Khairul HamzahExpressing the villagers' concerns and seeking answers from environmental and energy departments regarding the mining operations.

According to Khairul Hamzah, spokesperson for Gema Pelita, the mining company allegedly proceeded without any community involvement, such as socialization or information dissemination regarding the permits. When villagers initially protested directly to PT Anaba, the company reportedly stated that they did not require community approval to conduct mining in the Progo River. This lack of consultation is a primary point of contention for the residents.

The first is, the land around the mine is threatened. Second, erosion on the riverbank.

— UmarDetailing the environmental impacts faced by the village due to the mining activities.

Umar, the coordinator for Gema Pelita, highlighted several negative impacts resulting from the mining operations. These include the threat to nearby agricultural land, increased riverbank erosion, and potential disruption to the local Balong getek (raft tourism) attraction. He expressed concern that the continuous mining could lead to the cessation of tourism activities in the area.

If mining continues, it's possible it will stop [tourism].

— UmarExpressing concern about the future of local tourism due to the mining.

Furthermore, the villagers are worried about the damage to their village's sole access road, which is frequently used by heavy mining transport vehicles. They also report that local fishermen are finding it increasingly difficult to catch fish in the Progo River due to the mining activities. The residents fear that the operations could also contaminate and reduce the water supply from the river.

Then the fishermen, they are already having real difficulty finding fish in the Progo River. They can no longer operate.

— UmarDescribing the impact of mining on the livelihoods of local fishermen.
About this summary

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog