Locals Expect Alternative Livelihoods

The residents of Sukajaya and Nanggung districts, Bogor regency, West Java, have supported the government\'s plan to close illegal gold mines as long as alternative livelihoods are provided.

KOMPAS/AGUIDO ADRI

Ciberani Village, Kiara Pandak Village, Sukajaya, Bogor, West Java, which is surrounded by hills destroyed by landslides. Although the threat of landslides is still lurking, there are still many residents who survive the vulnerable areas on Sunday (26/1/2020).

BOGOR, KOMPAS — The residents of Sukajaya and Nanggung districts, Bogor regency, West Java, have supported the government\'s plan to close illegal gold mines in the Halimun Salak National Park as long as alternative livelihoods are provided. However, residents rejected the accusations that their mining activities had triggered flash floods and landslides in Bogor and Lebak in early January 2020.

"From the results of our evaluation together with all village heads in Nanggung district after the disaster, it was not caused by illegal mining activities. Because, the area affected by landslides is far away from the location of mining activities," said Jani Nurjaman, the chairperson of the All-Indonesia Village Government Association of Nanggung district, Friday (31/1/2020).

On 1 Jan. 2020, 10 out of 11 villages in Nanggung were affected by landslides and floods.

Related to this, Vice President Ma\'ruf Amin said the government would close the illegal mines. "There is already a plan to issue a presidential regulation on post-mining handling," said the Vice President.

Read more : Mitigating the Floods Seriously

KOMPAS/ANITA YOSSIHARA

Vice President Ma’ruf Amin (center, with mic) speaks to survivors of the New Year’s Day flash flood during a visit on Thursday (30 Jan. 2020) to an evacuation center at the military training compound in Sajira district, Lebak regency, Banten. The government plans to rebuild homes and relocate people from disaster hazard zones.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya explained that based on research by the Environment and Forestry Ministry, there were 50 landslide points in Lebak and 65 points in Bogor. The landslides were caused by the fact there are many illegal gold mining activities in the Mount Halimun Salak National Park (TNGHS) (Kompas, 31/1/2020).

Based on information compiled by Kompas, Tuesday (1/28), some residents in the districts of Sukajaya and Nanggung worked as illegal gold miners in the TNGHS. They have worked there for decades. Some of the residents who work as gold miners live in Kampung Babakan Ciberani, Pasir Madang village, Sukajaya. However, the residents who were met mostly did not claim to be mine workers.

One of them is Nira, 40, a resident of Kampung Babakan Ciberani, who was met in Kampung Pasir Walang. She initially claimed to be an odd job worker. However, the woman with two children then told that since 2000 she helped her husband as a gold miner without permission in the TNGHS. "But since disaster in early January, we all stopped. The police have been patrolling lately, so they haven\'t been brave enough to go there," she said.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

People help each other cross a makeshift bridge suspended over the rapidly flowing Ciberang River on 26 Jan. 2020 in Banjarsari village, Lebakgedong, Lebak, Banten. The Ciberang River overflowed on 1 Jan. 2020, causing a flash flood that destroyed the bridge connecting the kampongs of Ciladaeun and Muara, and a landslide that buried a nearby area that remains inaccessible to vehicles.

Landless

Working as a miner is an option because residents no longer own agricultural land. Land use rights (HGU) in the village also cannot be used for farming because it is forbidden by the company that controls the land.

"The holes that we dug at the location are small, its size can only be passed by one person. So, it is impossible to be the cause of such a big disaster," she said.

Nisa’s remark was echoed by residents of Nanggung, Bogor. Most residents in the district have switched jobs from gold mining after being put in order by the Bogor District Police in 2016.

"We don\'t want to be in trouble because of this disaster. Our mission is to improve everything that has the potential to cause disasters, ranging from forests as water catchments and mountain slopes around settlements through reforestation programs together with the Bogor Regency Government," said Jani, one of the residents.

So, it is impossible to be the cause of such a big disaster

Bogor Regent Ade Yasin said the illegal gold mines had been cited as the cause of the disasters in Bogor and Lebak based on expert studies. "When I heard what was stated by the central government that the cause of the disaster was the [illegal mining], I had to understand it first. When it comes to law enforcement, that is the authority of the police," he said.

The survivors of the landslide in Pasir Madang village, Sukajaya district, were given the option of relocating to avoid being in the red zone in the affected area.

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil offered to relocate the residents to Cigudeg district about 15 kilometers from Pasir Madang. The location consists of 15 points spread over 5 areas including land owned by state plantation company PTPN VIII Cikasungka covering an area of 20.48 hectares, 8 locations owned by non-PTPN companies (59.5 hectares), and 2 locations owned by residents (1.72 hectares).

If the offer is accepted by the residents, Cigudeg will accommodate more than 4,800 inhabitants of Pasir Madang village. "There will also be a place for planting or working with PTPN to cultivate the land," said Ridwan Kamil.

Head of Pasir Madang village Encep Sunarya said that aid had been distributed to 10 flood and landslide control posts in the village. Regarding relocation, he and the residents still could not make a decision on the offer.