West Bangka district’s Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda) and state-owned tin producer PT Timah Tbk planted thousands of trees in a former illegal tin ore mining area.
The mining area was located in the Bukit Menumbing Air Kahar Forest, West Bangka district, Bangka Belitung Islands province.
“We expect that the tree-planting movement would raise public awareness about preserving the environment,” the head of West Bangka district, Sukirman, said while planting trees here on Saturday.
The implementation of the tree planting activity was the result of synergy between the local government, PT Timah Tbk, and environment activists for restoring nature damaged by illegal mining activities, he added.
During the activity, 4,100 tree seedlings of cashew (Anacardium occidentale), agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis), eucalyptus (Melaleuca cajuputi), and mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) were planted in the five-hectare area.
The district head informed that the first phase of the environmental movement was carried out on January 28, 2022.
He appealed to the community to take care of the plants and forests after the reforestation was implemented so that the ruined environment could be restored.
“Let’s not damage it (the environment) again. We have to comply with the regulations in making a living (by not damaging nature),” he remarked.
West Bangka Resort Police chief, Adjunct Senior Commissioner (AKBP) Agus Siswanto, said that police will punish anyone found damaging the Bukit Menumbing Air Kahar Forest, in accordance with the applicable law.
“Do not conduct mining activities here since it is a public forest area. Forkopimda has agreed to implement (strict) law enforcement for anyone who carries out illegal logging and illegal mining (in the forest),” he added.
According to a statement released on the official site of the Environment and Forestry Ministry on Monday (June 20), the ministry has conducted 1,804 operations to protect the environment and forest areas in Indonesia. At least 682 of them have been forest area restoration operations.
Source: Antara News