Environmental official criticizes small-scale mining policy

The government's plan of allocating some mining areas for villagers to prevent them from doing illegal mining activities at the concession area of gold mining company PT Indo Muro Kencana in Batara regency, Central Kalimantan has drawn criticism from a local senior official, Kalteng Post (Kapos) daily reported.

Head of Batara's environmental head Ardinsyah Romsyah said he did not believe the villagers would care about environmental protection.

As such, he said, the government's policy would only lead to environmental destruction.

"I don't believe they would rehabilitate the destroyed forests. This will lead to greater environmental destruction," Ardinsyah said.

Ardinsyah noted that the government had implemented the policy in the Kotim area. After ending mining activities, the locals simply left the area without doing any reclamation efforts.

He said reclamation program required a lot of funds, which the villagers did not have.

As an alternative to the government's plan, Ardinsyah proposed the villagers be allowed to operate at Indo Muro's concession area but they have to sell their products to the company. Indo Muro will take responsibility for the reclamation program.

Indo Muro is a subsidiary of Australian mining firm Aurora Gold.

The company has been troubled by illegal mining activities by the local people for more than a year and the government was still facing difficulties to solve the problem. (*)