Unaaha Court Conducts Site Inspection in Environmental Pollution Lawsuit Against Two Nickel Firms
KENDARI — The Unaaha District Court carried out a site inspection relating to a case of alleged environmental pollution, registered under case number 28/Pdt.Sus-LH/2024/PN Unh, on Thursday (19/6/2025).
The lawsuit was filed by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) Southeast Sulawesi against two major nickel industry companies operating in the area, namely PT Obsidian Stainless Steel (OSS) and PT Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry (VDNI), both based in Morosi District, Konawe Regency.
The field inspection aimed to directly confirm the condition of objects central to the lawsuit, including local fish farming ponds allegedly suffering severe damage from industrial activities, as well as a number of sites suspected of environmental contamination.
Walhi Southeast Sulawesi Executive Director Andi Rahman stated that the site inspection reinforced the fact that the environmental problems caused by the two companies' activities were not merely speculative issues, but real problems directly felt by the community.
"The destruction of pond ecosystems and the declining environmental quality have had a significant economic impact on fish farmers. In addition, residents have begun experiencing health problems such as shortness of breath, skin irritation, and other respiratory illnesses believed to be caused by dust and emissions from the captive coal-fired power plant and the massive industrial operations," he said in an official statement received by the media.
During the inspection, a number of residents who were present conveyed their complaints directly to the panel of judges. They pointed out damage to fish ponds caused by sedimentation and industrial waste, and raised concerns about increasingly limited access to clean water.
The inspection forms part of the evidentiary process in a civil lawsuit alleging unlawful acts rooted in environmental damage, violations of the right to health, and economic losses suffered by local communities as a result of industrial activities, particularly from the captive coal-fired power plant and nickel production processes.
Walhi Southeast Sulawesi emphasised that this case could become an important milestone in environmental law enforcement in the region. "We hope this legal process becomes a turning point to halt reckless industrialisation practices that sacrifice environmental safety and community livelihoods," Andi Rahman affirmed.
The lawsuit was filed by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) Southeast Sulawesi against two major nickel industry companies operating in the area, namely PT Obsidian Stainless Steel (OSS) and PT Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry (VDNI), both based in Morosi District, Konawe Regency.
The field inspection aimed to directly confirm the condition of objects central to the lawsuit, including local fish farming ponds allegedly suffering severe damage from industrial activities, as well as a number of sites suspected of environmental contamination.
Walhi Southeast Sulawesi Executive Director Andi Rahman stated that the site inspection reinforced the fact that the environmental problems caused by the two companies' activities were not merely speculative issues, but real problems directly felt by the community.
"The destruction of pond ecosystems and the declining environmental quality have had a significant economic impact on fish farmers. In addition, residents have begun experiencing health problems such as shortness of breath, skin irritation, and other respiratory illnesses believed to be caused by dust and emissions from the captive coal-fired power plant and the massive industrial operations," he said in an official statement received by the media.
During the inspection, a number of residents who were present conveyed their complaints directly to the panel of judges. They pointed out damage to fish ponds caused by sedimentation and industrial waste, and raised concerns about increasingly limited access to clean water.
The inspection forms part of the evidentiary process in a civil lawsuit alleging unlawful acts rooted in environmental damage, violations of the right to health, and economic losses suffered by local communities as a result of industrial activities, particularly from the captive coal-fired power plant and nickel production processes.
Walhi Southeast Sulawesi emphasised that this case could become an important milestone in environmental law enforcement in the region. "We hope this legal process becomes a turning point to halt reckless industrialisation practices that sacrifice environmental safety and community livelihoods," Andi Rahman affirmed.