International help sought to solve elephant problem
JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja called for international cooperation yesterday to help solve the problem of rampaging elephants in Sumatra.
During a session with the Commision X members in the House of Representatives, who deal with environmental issues, Sarwono spoke of the international nature of the problem and asked for an outside helping hand.
Thousands of elephants roam Sumatra, often flattening any farms or plantations in their path. The size or their natural habitats is dwindling from local development and the elephants are now encroaching upon residential areas. "There should be an international initiative to address the matter," he said.
Sarwono's comment was the latest contribution to the ongoing debate over what Indonesia can do to stop the elephant raids against villages.
Elephants are a protected species by Indonesian law.
Minister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo's recent proposal to reduce their numbers by shooting the beasts has met strong opposition from environmentalists.
Last week, Minister of Forestry Djamaloedin Soeryohadikoesoemo proposed that the elephants be tamed and trained to transport heavy goods, such as logs.
Officials have also considered exporting elephants, which have killed at least 14 people in Sumatra since 1989. In Sumatra, the number of elephants is estimated at 4,000, where they freely roam the jungles of Aceh, Riau, Jambi and southern Sumatra.
The government has established elephant training centers in Aceh and Lampung but they can accommodate only a small number of them at a time.
Sarwono said the elephants had rapidly multiplied since their protection by law several years ago.
The animals often run amok in residential areas when they are no longer able to retrace the tracks established and passed down from generation to generation. During this same time, many of their former habitats have been turned into plantations.
The latest incident, as reported by Antara yesterday, involved hundreds of elephants destroying several hectares of sugarcane and banana plantations in south Sumatra on Tuesday.
Lawsuit
Addressing environmental issues, Sarwono said the government is considering filing a law suit against PT Surya Agung Kertas, a paper company based in Surabaya, for polluting the Surabaya River.
The plant, which produces 270,000 tons of paper a year, has been dumping its waste in the river without proper treatment as required by law.
He said the pollution was so heavy that it prompted PT Miwon, a food seasoning manufacturing company, to consider relocating their water intake to somewhere upstream from the paper plant. Their attempt, however, was thwarted by the local government.
"The (paper) plant has signed a statement promising to control industrial waste and the government has been closely watching its waste disposal," he said. (pan)