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MHU turns former mining ponds into water sources and economic opportunities

From Republika · () Indonesian

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

At a glance

Press release Official statement Outcome reported
  • PT Multi Harapan Utama converted a former mining pond into a clean-water source serving 582 families in Kutai Kartanegara.
  • Its programs helped raise the turnover of BUMDes Payang Sejahtera from 4.6 billion rupiah to 27.6 billion rupiah and increased the incomes of more than 100 cocoa farmers by up to five times.
  • The company received an Impactful Program Award at the 2026 Investortrust CSR Awards in Jakarta.

A former mining pond in Indonesia’s East Kalimantan has become a clean-water source for 582 families under a community program run by PT Multi Harapan Utama, a subsidiary of MMSGI.

The company’s post-mining water program serves three hamlets in Sungai Payang village, in Kutai Kartanegara district: Donomulyo, Sentuk and Rempanga. Water travels through a distribution network more than 3.6 kilometers long.

The system uses hydram pumps powered by the kinetic energy of moving water, so it does not require electricity or fuel. The infrastructure includes three hydram pumps, two hydropur units and a water treatment plant with a capacity of 126 cubic meters.

For us, the success of a community empowerment program is not measured only by how much support the company provides, but by the changes that continue after the program has been carried out.

— Kemal Djamil SiregarThe MHU president director described how the company measures the success of its community programs.

BUMDes Payang Sejahtera also helps manage the facility. The arrangement is intended to give residents a role in operating the infrastructure rather than making them only recipients of the program. The company said the initiative forms part of a broader effort to turn assets around its operating areas into social and economic benefits.

Other projects have focused on livelihoods. The development of Rumah Cokelat Lung Anai increased incomes for more than 100 farmers by up to five times, while the KUBE Koetai Harapan Utama carpentry group entered the procurement supply chain for schools in Kutai Kartanegara. The initiatives received an Impactful Program Award at the Investortrust CSR Awards 2026 in Jakarta on Aug. 27.

"For us, the success of a community empowerment program is not measured only by how much support the company provides, but by the changes that continue after the program has been carried out," MHU President Director Kemal Djamil Siregar said. He added that the programs aim to give communities the access, skills and institutions needed to develop economic activities more independently.

We do not see the void only as part of the post-mining process, but as an asset whose benefits can be returned to the community.

— Kemal Djamil SiregarHe described the company’s approach to reusing former mining ponds.
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.

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