Big gathering against exploitation of Meratus

Big gathering for the development of Banua Banjar in South Kalimantan, locally known Aruh Ganal, ended on Sunday. One of its recommendations said that the Meratus Mountain Range as the forest preserve areas, and therefore, they ban any exploitation activities, both mining and forestry activities, in the areas.

Commenting on the recommendations, the head of the South Kalimantan's forestry office, Sonny Parnoto, said that his party was waiting response and position from the province's legislative body that would bind all parties concerns.

"Our position is that we are waiting changes and further actions from the legislative body. And we are securing the areas that currently belong to nobody," Sonny said.

According to Sonny, the status of forest preserve areas for the Meratus Mountain Range should be enhanced by a decision from the legislative body and from the South Kalimantan government.

The executive director of the Indonesian Environmental Forum's South Kalimantan branch, M Noor Asikin, said that his party totally supported the decision that declares Meratus as the forest preservation areas.

Meanwhile, Darni Subari, a lecturer at the forestry department at a local university, said that the Meratus Mountain Range had been declared as the forest preserve area for a long time.

However, if the local government could not maintain the status of Meratus as the forest preserve area, it better handed over the task to a capable and reliable investor. Because of it was left uncontrolled, it would be eventually destroyed by illegal miners and illegal loggers.

"This does not mean that I agree with this proposal, but according to our research there, we found that there are areas that could be exploited. But we must choose only investors that meet our tight requirements," he said. (*)