InfoSAWIT, PALANGKA RAYA – Palangka Raya, the capital city Central Kalimantan Province is in smoke crisis. It makes people’s daily activity disturb. The smoke derives from the fire in the forests and areas around the city and mostly took place from palm oil plantations.
To solve the issue, General Director of Law Enforcement Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MEF), Rasio Ridho Sani and the team got firm action by sealing palm oil plantations in flame of PT. Palmindo Gemilang Kencana (PT. PGK) in Sub district of Sebangau, City of Palangka Raya. The plantations in flame laid on about ±372 hectares (Ha).
Rasio Sani thought the seal is the first thing to firmly get law enforcement for every corporate and individual who is in charge of the fire. It would limit not only in the fire case but also involve every available legal instrument, including delivering administration sanctions, such as, revoking business permit, sue of civil compensation, and heavy criminal sanction.
“The seal on the fired plantations of PT. PGK is the first thing of firm law enforcement we are doing. The permit holders should be responsible on the fire absolutely. The seal should be a lesson for others or people whose plantations are in fire,” Sani said as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Saturday (7/10/2023).
He also emphasized that there would be serious consequence in legal issue. “This is assertive. There would be multi-layer law enforcement as what Minister of Environment and Forestry, Siti Nurbaya told us to deliver deterrent effect and would not happen again,” Sani said.
In the context of law enforcement, Sani continued that maximal punishment would be delivered for every fire actor. The impacts of the smoke would disturb the people’s health, in education, the students should not go to school in Palangka Raya.
The fire damages natural ecosystem, disturb the people’s economic activities, make financial losses for the country. It means, the fire is environment crime and serious one that delivers losses for many parties.
It is said that there would be multi-criminal sentences for every perpetuator, not only 10 year in jail – threat and fine Rp 10 million, but could be 12 year in jail – threat and fine Rp 12 million if the fire delivered impacts for health issue. The corporate/entity would get additional criminal sues, such as, revoking profits and improving situation because of its crime (recovering). (T2)
