Walhi pushes Ladia Galaksor suit for environmental damage<\/p>\n
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
The fate of a controversial road project partly blamed for the
\nrecent flash flood which claimed at least 151 lives in North
\nSumatra may be determined in court.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Forum on Environment (Walhi) is pursuing its
\nlawsuit against Aceh governor Abdullah Puteh in relation to the
\nconstruction of the Ladia Galaska project, and wants the project
\nstopped. It suggests that the project, which failed an
\nenvironmental impact assessment, could easily be replaced by a
\nrailway, which would not cause as much environmental damage,
\nbecause illegal loggers could not readily use a train for their
\nactivities.<\/p>\n
Walhi turned down an offer from the Aceh administration to
\nsettle the matter out of court because the latter \"is not
\nserious,\" its lawyer Bambang Antariksa said on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"Some 30 percent of the road construction has been completed
\nand it's getting closer to the protected forest,\" Bambang said,
\nreferring to the Mount Leuser National Park (TNGL).<\/p>\n
The project has been opposed by Walhi and other organizations
\nas 160 kilometers out of the planned 505-kilometer-long road cuts
\nthrough the national park.<\/p>\n
On Oct. 3 Walhi filed the lawsuits against the Aceh governor,
\nthe Aceh settlement and regional infrastructure agency and the
\nAceh council for the construction of the road network, which is
\nto link the west and east coasts of northern Sumatra.<\/p>\n
The project, apart from illegal logging, has been partially
\nblamed for the deadly flash flood in Langkat regency, which is
\npart of the national park.<\/p>\n
The central government is sending a team to investigate the
\ncauses of the flood.<\/p>\n
It is believed that the road would be used by illegal loggers,
\nthus harming forest biodiversity. TNGL, home to many rare animal
\nand plant species, has lost some 20 percent of 950,000 hectares
\nof forest due to illegal logging.<\/p>\n
TNGL is also important for people in Aceh and neighboring
\nNorth Sumatra for its capability to provide water for over four
\nmillion people.<\/p>\n
Bambang said that Walhi agreed that the road would end
\nthe isolation of residents in 23 villages and towns.<\/p>\n
\"But we oppose it as the road harms the forests,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Bambang said that the road construction would also carry the
\npotential to cause more floods and landslides as it could cut
\nthrough steep and fragile hills inside the national park.<\/p>\n
Last year, the southern part of Aceh suffered widespread
\nflooding, which caused many deaths as well as crop failures
\nestimated to have cost billions of rupiah.<\/p>\n
The government has yet to decide whether to continue the road
\nproject. Forestry Minister M. Prakosa and State Minister for the
\nEnvironment Nabiel Makarim have also expressed opposition to the
\nproject.<\/p>\n
However, Minister of Settlement and Infrastructure Soenarno
\nhas claimed that the road project would not increase illegal
\nlogging.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/walhi-pushes-ladia-galaksor-suit-for-environmental-damage-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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