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.