Illegal mining in West Kalimantan more uncontrollable

Illegal mining activities in Sintang regency, West Kalimantan have become more uncontrollable lately, Jakarta-based daily Kompas reported on Thursday.

The daily reported that the illegal mining activities were not only carried out on land but also in the regency?s important rivers such as Melawi and Kapuas rivers. As the impact, transportation activities in the two rivers, the main transportation means in the regency, have been badly disturbed.

Miners who not only used large drilling machines but also logs with diameters of up to 100 centimeters were growing in number in the two rivers. Their activities have often blocked the boat transportation.

The illegal mining activities in the two rivers started two years ago after some of the miners found gold deposits in the river. This has encouraged more unauthorized miners to try their luck in the rivers.

According to the daily, the miners are mostly grouped in three of four people, who mostly rely on traditional equipment in conducting their operations. Each group usually produces about four grams of gold per day.(*)