Jakarta, hitclubapk3 Indonesia
—
Minister of the Environment (LH) Hanif Faisol Nurofiq temporarily suspended three operations
company
whose activities are around the Batang Toru river basin (DAS), South Tapanuli, are affected
flood
and landslides in the area.
The three companies are PT Agincourt Resources, PT Perkebunan Nusantara III (PTPN III), and PT North Sumatra Hydro Energy (NSHE), the developer of the Batang Toru hydroelectric power plant.
“Starting December 6 2025, all companies in the upper reaches of the Batang Toru watershed are required to stop operations and undergo environmental audits,” said Hanif, in his official statement, Friday (5/12).
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“We have summoned the three companies for an official inspection on December 8 2025 in Jakarta,” he added.
Hanif previously carried out inspections in the Batang Toru and Garoga watersheds to verify the causes of the disaster, assess the contribution of business activities to the increased risk of floods and landslides, and ensure compliance with environmental protection standards.
Based on field findings, the government decided to temporarily suspend the operations of three companies and require environmental audits as a measure to control ecological pressure in the upstream watershed which has a vital function for society.
On that occasion, Hanif also emphasized the need for a comprehensive evaluation of all business activities in the area, especially with extreme rainfall which has now reached more than 300 mm per day.
“Environmental restoration must be seen as a unified landscape. We will calculate the damage, assess legal aspects, and do not rule out the possibility of criminal proceedings if violations are found that worsen the disaster,” he explained.
He emphasized that his party is now tightening verification of environmental approvals and spatial planning suitability for all activities on steep slopes, upstream watersheds and river channels.
Law enforcement will be taken if violations are found that increase the risk of disaster.
“We will not hesitate to take firm action against any violations. Environmental law enforcement is the main instrument for protecting society from preventable disasters,” concluded Hanif.
Previously, the Ministry of Environment said there were eight companies suspected of contributing to worsening flooding in the North Sumatra region.They include industrial plantation companies, gold mines, and palm oil companies.
Company Response
PT Agincourt Resources has opened its voice about the fact that this busy gold mining company is said to be triggering or exacerbating flooding in South Tapanuli.
“Our findings show that directly linking the operations of the Martabe Gold Mine to the flash flood incident in Garoga Village is a premature and inappropriate conclusion,” explained PTAR in its official release, Tuesday (2/12).
The company claims that the main point of flooding occurred in Garoga Village which is in the Garoga River Watershed (DAS) sub-area.Then, it spread to several villages, such as Huta Godang, Batu Horing, Sitinjak, and Aek Ngadol.
PTAR operations, they continued, are in the Aek Pahu sub-watershed.PTAR claims that hydrologically the mining location is separate from the watershed.
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(isa/pta)
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