Coastal reclamation poses problems: Activists

Coastal reclamation poses problems: Activists

Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post/Bandarlampung

A coastal reclamation project in Bandarlampung is causing serious
environmental problems in the area that could threaten the lives
of locals, residents' groups and environmentalists say.

The project, being carried out by PT Bukit Alam Permai (BAS)
and PT Sekar Kenaka Langgeng (SKL) for the municipal council, has
displaced local fishermen, and has nearly leveled Camang hill,
one of the 13 natural features in the area, activists say.

Herza Yulianto, coordinator of the Coalition Opposed to
Lampung Bay Reclamation (KP3TL), warned that residents living
around the hill could be hard hit by floods after the dry season
ended.

"Sand and rocks have covered the water conduits along the road
to the hill. I'm afraid that flash floods could happen at any
time during the coming rainy season," he said recently.

Last year, one local resident was killed and several homes
were destroyed in a landslide blamed on excessive quarrying
activities at Kunyit hill in the Panjang district.

Kunyit hill and Klutum hill in East Tanjungkarang have also
been reduced to half of their original size due to the earth
removal.

More than a million cubic meters of rocks have been excavated
and by large trucks for landfill in an ambitious project to widen
a 15-kilometer stretch of the region's coastline by 200 meters.

Based on permits issued by the Bandarlampung municipal
administration, PT SKL is allowed to fill 20 hectares of the
coastal area -- from Way Kuala to Way Lunik Kanan in Panjang,
Bandarlampung -- while PT BAS is allotted with 30 hectares of the
neighboring area.

The remaining hills around Bandarlampung City are awaiting
their turn to be scooped up for the land reclamation project.

Herza said the landfill activities by PT SKL were illegal
because the company had yet to obtain a required environmental
impact analysis (Amdal) certificate.

Late August, the Lampung legislative council's special
committee confirmed alleged irregularities in the reclamation
project and recommended that Bandarlampung Mayor Suharto stop it.

The project was also not in line with its base document, a
memorandum of understanding, they said.

"PT SKL has breached the Amdal requirements, which has caused
sea water pollution and silting. Proper reclamation methods were
not achieved because PT BAS and PT SKL did not build embankments,
which later led to sea water seepage into the land," Herza said.

PT BAS director Rommy Dharma Satryawan said his company had
continued the excavation and coastal reclamation after obtaining
a permit from the mayor.

A city official, Amirudin, said the size of the hill excavated
by the company now covered an area of 10 hectares.

Herza said the coastal reclamation and quarrying activities
did not only cause environmental problems.

"It has also caused social, economic and health problems and
infringes on locals' human rights. This is why we reject this
project."

He said mobilizing support for the campaign to stop the
quarrying and land reclamation activities was difficult as the
public were still ignorant about issue.

"Our job is even harder when Ali Kabul Mahi, an environmental
expert from Lampung University, who once backed our coalition,
has now been recruited by PT BAS as a consultant," Herza, who
also the executive director of the Mitra Bentala environmental
group, said.

Mukri Friatna, who chairs the Lampung branch of the Indonesian
Forum for Environment (Walhi), said hill quarrying in
Bandarlampung had started five years ago, with many companies and
residents engaged in the activity following the passing of a
local bylaw.

Companies granted permits by the municipal administration to
quarry hills were required to pay levies in return. "But the
amounts of levies are too small -- at only about Rp 50 million
per year, which is not comparable to the negative impact on the
environment caused by the quarrying," Mukri said.

Meanwhile, Lampung Fishermen's Association secretary-general
Joko Purwanto said the project had damaged Lampung Bay's
ecosystem. Fishermen now found it difficult to make a living
there, he said.

"The land reclamation has caused catchment areas to shrink.
Fishermen are being forced to fish farther out to sea. The
farther they are from the beach, the more expenses they have to
pay," Joko said.