Planned industrial zone meets opposition

Planned industrial zone meets opposition

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan

People in the North Sumatra town of Belawan have become agitated
over plans by a local businessman to create a container
industrial zone in a mangrove forest there.

Locals and environmental activists are demanding that the
Belawan authorities cancel the planned industrial zone, which
according to them would threaten their life in the future.

The swamp, where the industrial zone would be set up,
protects the coastline from flooding when sea levels rise in
Belawan.

The project could increase the likelihood of flooding in the
town after the mangrove forest is converted into an industrial
zone, said locals, mostly fishermen.

M. Adenan Noor, a local villager, said on Tuesday that
currently, the rise in the sea level has already reached up to 30
centimeters, causing concern among people in Belawan, where
several areas are often inundated.

"We can imagine what would happen if the industrial zone is
developed. The rise in the sea level would submerge more areas
across Belawan. So far, flooding triggered by rising sea levels
has been contained by these swamps.

"We are extremely worried the project would have a
detrimental impact on our life, such as flooding," Noor said.

North Sumatra's Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi)
executive director Herwin Nasution concurred, saying the planned
project could harm the ecosystem because it would destroy the
mangrove tree forest.

Mangrove forests are extremely important for environmental
preservation in the sea, particularly to prevent erosion and
protect fish from extinction, Herwin argued.

He urged the government to seriously consider the objections
of local people to the planned industrial zone in order to
protect them from floods.

"Based on Law No. 13/1997 on the environment, if people raise
objections about proposed development due to environmental
concerns, the authorities must delay the conversion of the land
until after they approve it," Herwin told The Jakarta Post.

The industrial zone would reportedly be created on tens of
hectares of swampy land from Bagan Deli to Belawan Bahari
neighborhoods.

Contractors have started by piling up soil on the construction
site, where concrete pillars have been erected. Heavy equipment
has even arrived there.

Noor said he received information that the industrial zone
would be used to accommodate containers and warehouses.

When the project has been completed, it would be the largest
container storage center in Belawan.

Responding to the protests, Medan Legislative Council deputy
speaker Ibrahim Sakti Batubara said the project was initiated
without the approval of council leaders.

However, the project had been discussed by commissions in the
council, he added.

Ibrahim called for an open dialog to address the objections of
the Belawan people to the project.

"The council leaders cannot comment further on this project.
We will study it first by inviting all relevant parties involved
in the development plan," he said.