InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA — Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH) has taken a major legal step by filing a civil lawsuit against six companies accused of causing massive environmental damage in North Sumatra Province.

The move is widely seen as a strong signal that environmental law enforcement will not stop at identifying violations, but will also push for ecosystem restoration and ensure corporate accountability is enforced in real terms.

The lawsuit targets alleged environmental damage across three affected districts — North Tapanuli, Central Tapanuli, and South Tapanuli — with a primary focus on restoring ecosystems within the Garoga River Watershed and the Batang Toru River Watershed. Both areas have reportedly faced increasing pressure in recent years due to declining environmental carrying capacity.

To underline its seriousness, KLH/BPLH registered the lawsuits simultaneously through three different courts: the Medan District Court for two companies, the Central Jakarta District Court for one company, and the South Jakarta District Court for the remaining three.

Minister Hanif: The State Must Not Stay Silent

Minister of Environment and Head of BPLH, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, stressed that the environmental damage is not merely an ecological issue — but one that has created ripple effects across communities living in the affected areas.

“The environmental damage has had a major impact on the public — lost environmental functions, disrupted livelihoods, and declining sense of safety due to the threat of ecological disasters. The state must not remain silent when the environment is damaged and the people are forced to bear the consequences alone,” Hanif stated, as quoted by InfoSAWIT on Tuesday (January 20, 2026).

He added that the lawsuit is grounded on field evidence and expert analysis, rather than assumptions.

“We firmly uphold the polluter pays principle. Any corporation that profits by damaging ecosystems must bear absolute responsibility to restore them. This is a strong message that environmental law enforcement under KLH/BPLH will tolerate no compromise in ensuring every citizen’s constitutional right to a healthy and sustainable environment,” he added.

Garoga and Batang Toru Under Spotlight as Flood and Landslide Risks Grow

KLH/BPLH said the lawsuit is not only about claiming financial compensation, but also part of a broader strategy to mitigate disaster risks in watershed areas.

Deputy for Environmental Law Enforcement at KLH/BPLH, Rizal Irawan, explained that the legal filing follows the mandate of Article 2 of Indonesia’s Law No. 32/2009 on Environmental Protection and Management — emphasizing state responsibility, sustainability, precaution, and the polluter pays principle.

He warned that weakened environmental carrying capacity could increase flood and landslide threats now looming over communities along the Batang Toru and Garoga watersheds.

Six Companies Sued for Alleged 2,516 Hectares of Damage

The six companies named in the lawsuit are PT NSHE, PT AR, PT TPL, PT PN, PT MST, and PT TBS.

Based on field inspections and in-depth technical assessment, KLH/BPLH alleged their activities caused environmental damage across 2,516.39 hectares.

The total claim value reached Rp4,843,232,560,026.00, consisting of:

Environmental losses: Rp4,657,378,770,276.00

Ecosystem restoration costs: Rp178,481,212,250.00

KLH/BPLH said the amount is intended to ensure damaged ecosystems can be restored to support essential functions for local communities.

Government Demands Strict Liability

Rizal Irawan emphasized that the government is demanding strict liability for every portion of environmental damage that occurred. The lawsuit is also part of a long-term strategy to strengthen environmental governance and encourage corporate compliance to prevent similar cases in the future.

KLH/BPLH stated it will closely monitor the legal process transparently and ensure any funds recovered through the lawsuit will be allocated toward environmental restoration and ecological justice for affected communities. (T2)