JAKARTA (UCAN): The provincial governor of West Kalimantan, Indonesia, Sutarmidji, who goes by only one name, said on November 10 that he would crack down on the issuing of permits to palm oil firms after flash floods hit several areas of Borneo, killing several people and forcing thousands to flee their homes.
“They just want to get rich in West Kalimantan, but they don’t want to care about the people,” he said.
The governor’s anger came to a head on November 9 when various firms in the province refused his call to help flood victims. He said that as long as he is governor he no longer wants anything to do with palm oil companies.
Flooding hit many areas in Kalimantan over the past few weeks, with several districts in West Kalimantan province being the worst hit. More than 35,000 homes were submerged and at least 140,000 residents displaced in the district of Sintang, according to the disaster management agency.
Fransiskus Sani Lake, director of the Catholic lay-run advocacy organisation, Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation in Kalimantan, said the disaster was caused by deforestation carried out for palm oil plantations and mining.
“Since these industries came, every time it rains, all rivers overflow. This has been happening since at least 2013 and gets worse every year,” he said.
These industries control huge swathes of land in the region. According to environmental groups, about 1.2 million hectares or 33 per cent of South Kalimantan province’s land area is controlled by coal mining and around 620,000 hectares or 17 per cent is controlled by oil palm plantations.
Although Lake voiced support for Sutarmidji’s threat to revoke permits, he said the government needs to evaluate the situation.
“Why? Because the government itself has also been issuing permits without caring about the environment,” he said.
